Dreamer Deceiver
by Ephemeral89
Summary: Bakura/Akefia soon finds a way to travel back to his time and finally break free from the miserable cycle of eternal life. At what cost will he achieve what he desires? Genderbending/FemRyou/FemMalik
1. Chapter 1

_Hi guys! This is my very first fic, so please be gentle. I typed it up on my little iPod touch notepad app so i sincerely apologize for any errors._  
><em>This fic contains violence, strong language, and some Smut for future chapters.<em>  
><em>*Genderbent characters* If you don't like that sort of thing, then this story is not for you.<em>  
><em>*Yami "Bakura" will be replaced with "Akefia" later on. I hope the name change will not confuse you.<em>

* * *

><p>Chapter 1- "<em>Am I going insane?"<em>

It was the very early hours of the day, merely a quarter until six in the morning. A window was half opened, and the curtains on the inside swayed with the wind. The room was deathly quiet except for the faint sound of soft breathing coming from the old velvet colored couch. It wasn't a very expensive piece of furniture, but it looked quite elegant with its soft textured pattern and cloud-like cushion. Despite it's appearance, it wasn't the most comfortable couch, but the young girl slept atop it effortlessly. A thin stack of white copy paper with small text printed on them sat on her chest as she slept, each page lightly flapping along with the morning breeze coming from the slightly opened window. Her chest heaved up and down as she got the much needed sleep. Her dreams were more like nightmares as a dark fog always clouded her mind.

The sun began to break through the cloudy skies. It's rays of light passing through the blinds and landing on the girl's face. The unexpectedly warm sensation caused her to shift a little but not too much. She continued to sleep a little longer until the sun's rays shone bright on her closed eyelids and the warmth was becoming too uncomfortable. Thinking that she was on her bed, the young girl turned over to avoid the sun but soon realized she fell short of space and tumbled down to the floor with a loud thud. The papers resting on her chest scattered everywhere.

"Ow!" The young girl rubbed her forehead with one hand and supported her upper body with the other. She landed, chest first and face down on the carpeted floor. The carpet scraped on her palm and she felt a burning sensation on it. Her umber eyes narrowed, they were still slightly red from the lack of sleep.

"I've to be more careful and remember where I fall asleep..." She mused out loud as she got on her two feet and glanced over at the silver clock hung on the wall right above her couch. It made a ticking noise with each passing second.

Her eyes widened once she fully focused her vision on the clock.

Six-thirty.

School.

"Oh, Ra I'm going to be late!" Normally, she would leave her house by six. She had a train to catch and try to avoid the mass of people that always managed to get in her way. She sprinted toward her bathroom to freshen up, wash her face, and brush her teeth. Her white disheveled hair proved to be impossible to tame, but after a few attempts, she managed to get it just right.

She frantically searched her closet for her school uniform: A long sleeved white button up shirt with a short blue skirt that was at least three inches above the knee and a bright pink coat that hugged her body nicely, revealing her lovely curves that were normal for a teenage girl. She tied a blue bow under her collar and quickly pulled a pair of knee high socks up her smooth legs. Once she slipped on her shoes she grabbed her bag and headed for the door, but quickly stopped dead in her tracks.

"I'm forgetting my report that's due today!" She went back to where the papers were scattered on the floor next to the couch and picked them up. She lifted her head up and caught a glimpse of a beautiful golden ring shaped piece of jewelry laying on her couch. It was the Egyptian artifact her father had given her. It was a souvenir from his travels. She stared at it for a foment and recalled that she never failed to wear it since her father had given it to her. It was very dear to her and she treated it like her own personal treasure. However, she was also convinced that her nightmares started ever since she first wore it around her neck. She shook the thoughts away and picked up the golden artifact. Apparently the report wasn't the only thing she was forgetting. She hung the golden ring around her neck and headed out the door with her report in hand.

"Ryou, you're never late for class, dear..." The tall slender teacher looked down at Ryou standing in the doorway not letting the snowy haired girl in. Her english accent left no trace of anger in her voice. Ryou was a few minutes late and she silently cursed all of the clumsy business workers for getting in her way at the train station.

"..but since you're one of my top students, I suppose I could let this one pass. Just don't do it again."

The senior year teacher gave her a gentle smile but also emphasized the seriousness of her statement with a quick glare. The clutter of people and cabs on the streets caused Ryou a great delay.

"I apologize Miss Blade. It'll never happen again!" Ryou walked passed her teacher and quickly sat down in the back of the class to avoid stares from snotty rich kids that she didn't particularly find interesting. They weren't exactly nice to her either. She didn't have many friends but she wasn't hated either. she only had one close friend. She looked around and saw everyone else looking tired, and lethargic. One kid had already fallen asleep and snored lightly beside her. Ryou sighed, it was going to be a long day.

Ryou stared at the clock the entire time. School was in that awkward stage where it was almost out but teachers still felt the need to give out assignments even though they graded none of it. There was only one more official week of school left and Ryou would be the lucky kid in the graduating class of that year. She smiled at the thought of finally being able to make plans of her own and go to art school to exercise her passion. She absentmindedly doodled on a blank sheet of wide ruled paper. Her hand and pen had a mind of their own as they created a figure on the sheet of paper. She held her head on one hand. Her eyelids felt heavy but was soon startled by the final bell. The mass of students all headed for the door like a tidal wave causing the sheet of paper to fly off of Ryou's desk. A short red headed guy picked it up and turned to look at Ryou.

"Wow! This looks pretty neat! Can I have it?" He asked excitedly catching Ryou off guard. She wasn't even aware of what she had just drawn.

"Thanks. Uh, yeah sure I suppose you could have it." She scratched the back of her head as she blushed at how much the kid admired her drawing that she was completely unaware of.

"Thanks!" He looked down at the sheet of paper and admired her realistic style. It was almost like a photocopy of the human eye. Strange symbols encircled it. He gave Ryou one last smile and walked out of the room. Ryou stayed behind and gathered her belongings into her bag.

A girl of Ryou's age stayed behind with her. She was much more outspoken and less shy. She had long platinum blond hair and tanned skin that beautifully brought out her violet eyes outlined by dark Egyptian style eyeliner. After all, she was Egyptian. The girl wasn't fond of the school uniforms, she couldn't properly express herself and wear the accessories she would have liked. She was gorgeous to say the least. Ryou smelled the sweet scent of lotus perfume around her and looked up to see the pretty Egyptian approaching her with a big smile on her face.

"Hey babe, schools finally out! What do you say we go grab a bite at the new American burger joint?" She had a playful look in her eyes and Ryou could never refuse those sparkling eyes of hers. They had too much history.

"Oh Malik, how could I refuse? Sure I'd love too! There is some stuff I'd like to talk to you about as well." Ryou smiled warmly at the newly named girl, Malik.

"Come on then! I'm starving!" Malik grabbed Ryou's arm and they started walking down the long hallway. Malik rambled on about random shit that had happened to her in school and all Ryou could do was nod. She loved her best friend but the girl was sometimes too damned dramatic.

"...and then the guy gave me his number but I told him I wasn't inter... oh look we're here!" The pretty Egyptian's eyes lit up as they both came to a stop in front of the American style restaurant.

"Ry?" Ryou had been lost in a daze while she held a hand against her chest firmly, but immediately broke out of her musings upon hearing Malik call her name. Truthfully, Ryou hadn't heard much of Malik's story. Odd sensations and pains pulsated within her chest, so naturally, that was what got her undivided attention. However, these sudden sensations weren't anything new. Ryou had been been experiencing them for a while now. She shook her head and looked up at her friend smiling brightly and whose stomach seemed to be literally barking.

"Oh right! Let's eat then!"

"What's been on your mind, Ryou? You've been quite distracted lately. I've noticed. You haven't even touched your food." Malik asked after taking a slurp from her strawberry milkshake. Malik knew Ryou well, and although she acted like she was completely oblivious, the girl's eyes caught everything around her.

"Malik, do you ever feel like someone is watching you?" The platinum blond's eyes widened for a second then she remained silent as if to ponder over the question. However, Ryou didn't give her a chance to answer.

"I've just been feeling strange lately. I've been getting this light pain in my chest that I've never experienced before and my ring seems to react to my pain by glowing dimly." Ryou paused for a moment and thought about how absurd she sounded. She looked down at her ancient artifact then glanced up at her friend who had a conflicting look on her face.

Malik knew perfectly what Ryou had been talking about. She was experiencing strange pains In her chest which she could have sworn were coming from her heart. But she would never admit that. It could have been a medical issue for all she knew. Malik wasn't going to acknowledge that she felt as if she were being watched either. It sounded absolutely ridiculous and crazy. She preferred a sounding as sane as possible, even certain circumstances begged to differ.

"Oh Ryou, graduation coming up is really going to your head isn't it?" Malik reached over and placed a hand on Ryou's head, rattling her hair everywhere as if she were petting a little dog. Ryou sighed deeply with an annoyed expression. She was certain that their upcoming graduation was the last of her concerns. Although it never hurt to prepare for it now.

"No Malik... That's not what's been distracting me. I honestly feel this peculiar pain in my heart and every time that happens my ring glows! I feel something... I feel someone." The restaurant was quiet except for the sound of the door opening causing a little bell to ring. Malik looked at Ryou for a long moment not knowing what to say. She could tell her she's been going through strange things too and they could both ramble on about how crazy they really are, or she could simply talk about the issue with a serious approach.

"Look, Ry, quit being paranoid. All those scary movies you've been watching are getting to your head, babe! You've got to chill." Yeah, a serious approach indeed.

Just then Ryou's heart began beating quickly and she felt light headed. Her already pale face looked even paler. Transparent even.

"Ry?" Malik looked at her worriedly. "Was the food under-cooked? Are you alright?"

"Just... Give me a minute.. I-I'll be back." Ryou got up and headed for the restrooms. Not caring which one she entered, Ryou quickly went inside and supported herself by putting a hand on either side of a sink. The sharp pain In her chest had come back and her Egyptian artifact started glowing again, this time it was stronger than before. Ryou moaned in pain as she felt a strange power escaping her.

"Ahhh! What is wrong with me!?" The pain in her chest was too strong and her head started spinning causing her knees to weaken. Her pain driven screams filled the bathroom as she held a hand over her chest. She could hear her own screams being muffled and it suddenly felt like time was being slowed down. Her vision became blurred and she was slowly loosing consciousness. Her knees completely gave out and Ryou collapsed on the floor, the last thing her weak mind being able to collect was her ring pointing to a dark figure in front of her.

Ryou woke in her bed the next morning. There was no school so she had nothing to worry about thus far. She couldn't exactly remember what had happened yesterday with Malik. She did recall the unexpected ache and it being even more powerful than the last time she experienced it. She wondered who brought her home. Was it Malik? Did the event at the burger joint actually happen? Why did her ring point to something? Was it a person or a thing? Who was that? Or Better yet, what was that? She looked down at her nightstand and saw she had an unread message on her cellphone. It was Malik.

_'Hey babe! You just walked out on me the other day... are you mad at me?'_

Ryou sighed. She didn't even know what happened the other night herself. She looked down at her artifact and held it tightly.

'What_ are you trying to tell me..?'_

The ring did nothing and Ryou sighed heavily.

She got dressed and headed downstairs. She had many questions about her artifact and she was determined to get answers from the person who gave it to her.


	2. Chapter 2

_Chapter 2- The Pathetic Mortal_

2

_'Little Ryou, something has been discovered in Egypt.  
>I don't know what it is but I was called and told to immediately head out.<br>__I'll see you in a couple of months.  
>Love, dad.'<em>

Ryou was disappointed upon reading the note taped to the refrigerator door. She wanted to discuss the ancient ring with her father but that would have to wait.  
>Normally, when things like this happened, Ryou's father would call her aunt over to take care of her, but Ryou was eighteen now and didn't need anyone caring for her in her father's absence. Ryou was used to her father leaving on random trips. He was an archaeologist and traveled all over the world to learn more and discover new things. He was a smart man and raised Ryou well. Being a single father wasn't an easy task and Ryou's appreciation for her father was immense. She supported him in every way and didn't dare protest his random leavings. If anything, she was excited for him and couldn't wait to hear what kind of stories he had to share from his findings.<p>

"Well I suppose I could go out for a walk instead..." The talk with her father was put on hold. It annoyed Ryou slightly but she was willing to be patient or maybe discover things about her artifact on her own. She had so much troubling her mind and all she really wanted to do was to take a stroll through York street, where many vendors would set up stands and sell fresh fruits and other hand made crafts. Most of the vendors were foreign and much older but very friendly people nonetheless.

Ryou felt at ease looking at all of the people happily selling fresh grown goods. It was a cold day so many people were wearing coats including Ryou. She wore a black sweater and slipped the hood over her snowy white hair to keep warm. She was craving a juicy green apple and made her way towards a vendor's stand and took her time picking out the best looking apple.

Of course the tranquility didn't last long, for Ryou started feeling that now familiar pain in her chest.  
><em>'Oh Ra, not again.. Not now at least...'<br>_She cursed herself under her breath. The vendor looked at her strangely.

An old man approached the middle aged vendor. He looked angry.  
>"Some bloke just tried to steal some of my merchandise! All I could see was white hair. Keep an eye out for that thief!"<br>Ryou's head started spinning and she could barely process the man's statement. However she was certainly aware that she had white hair.

_'Oh no... They might mistake me for the thief!'_ A shaky hand gripped the bright green apple. The merchant stared at his customer intently. The pain in her chest was getting even more powerful and she could hardly move.  
>The strong wind blew in their direction and caused Ryou's hood to fall back, exposing her beautiful yet sought after, white hair.<p>

"Thief!" The vendor yelled and quickly grabbed Ryou's delicate wrist with such force, he could have crushed it. Ryou yelped in pain wide eyed. Her innocent umber eyes filled with fear. She had to set the record straight but how could they believe her? The hair was such a dead giveaway. All she knew was that she was innocent.

"No! I wasn't stealing! I promise sir! You've got me mistaken!" The pain and panic in her heart making it impossible for her to sound convincing.

Thief! I have worked so hard for my earnings, yet you feel the need to steal from me! I'll punish you myself and cut your hands off!"  
>He dragged her into his shop behind his stand and threw her on the floor. Ryou hit her head on the hard floor while he went behind the counter to retrieve his weapon.<br>Ryou wanted to escape but suddenly the pain in her chest became much too strong and the ancient ring delivered a blinding light that caused the angry foreign vendor to fall back and Ryou let out a loud scream. A tall figure stood in front of Ryou's small form. She lay on the ground barely conscious but it was enough to see that the person in front of her was a man with long wild white hair that was spiked from the top.

"Who the hell are you and how did you get in my shop!"  
>The vendor managed to say despite his fear. He held a sharp knife in his hand and was ready to defend himself if necessary.<p>

The tall white haired man let out a demented laugh.  
>"Has anyone not told you to not falsely accuse people, old man?"<br>He grinned sadistically as he looked down upon the scared vendor.

However, the vendor was not willing to show weakness to this stranger, he gripped his knife tightly and ran towards the tall man, ready to stab him. Yet, the tall man's reflexes were quick and accurate. He smoothly moved out of the vendors way and grabbed on his wrist, twisting his arm behind his back and taking his knife from him in one swift movement. The tall white haired man now had control of the knife and placed close to the vendor's neck. He had the vendor in a choke hold and could slice his neck at any moment.

"Bad choice, mortal. Now you've committed your second mistake. First, messing with what belongs to me and secondly, challenging me!" His rough voice having no trace of mercy.  
>"And now, you shall pay me..." The room started turning black with shades of deep purple. The familiar fog Ryou had seen so many times in her dreams.<br>"...with your pathetic life!" Without a flinch the tall man cut the vendor's throat that would instantly kill him but somehow he survived but made no attempt to fight back. He threw him on the floor and the blood began to run quickly, forming a large puddle under the body. The vendor's eyes shot wide open as he screamed in pain and agony. He held his neck to stop the bleeding but the blood just kept gushing out. The man lay horrified at the endless stream of blood flowing out of his body and onto the floor.

"You can try to stop the bleeding but it'll never work. You will feel that pain and the blood will continue to run forever, pathetic mortal! Your mind has been fed to my shadows, my darkness!" The tall white haired man laughed wickedly with a bloody knife in his hand.

Ryou had watched the scene in its entirety and she could not fathom anything that was going on. Had she just witnessed a man get killed by another? She prayed it was a bad dream. The tall white haired man approached her slowly. A dark shadow covered his eyes and Ryou could not see who he was. She was terrified of this man and shrunk down into the corner even more.

"A-Are you going to kill m-me?" Ryou's voice shacked as she looked up at the tall man. Her artifact continued to glow as it rested on her flat stomach.  
>He let out a dark laugh and a visible smirk crept across his face. He brought the bloody knife to her chin and used it to lift her head up slightly. She trembled in fear and thought she was looking into the face of death.<p>

"No. At least not yet, mortal. I think you and I have serious business to discuss." The dark shadows of the room slowly began to disappear. The place where the puddle of blood once was, was now clean and the vendor laid on the floor just screaming, but there was no physical damage inflicted on the man. Ryou was still so shaken up by the entire thing, she refused to look at the now clearly visible man in front of her.

He began to get impatient and just swept the girl off the floor and held her over his broad shoulder and walked toward the back door and into the alley.

"Put me down! Please don't hurt me!"  
>Ryou cried out while she was kicking the air in an effort to wiggle herself out of the man's grasp.<br>He was getting annoyed at her constant bitching and smacked her ass really hard. Enough to leave a mark.  
>Ryou automatically stopped and lightly gasped at the foreign sensation this man had inflicted on her. She quieted.<p>

The white haired male smirked at her sudden compliance.  
>"Good girl. Now I can put you down."<br>He put her down and suddenly slammed her against the brick wall. They were still in the dark alley and no one was there to save her.  
>Ryou yelped in pain and fear crept back into her causing her to shake under his grasp. However, now she could clearly see how the man who had got her out of trouble looked like. She didn't dare think he saved her. Who knows what his real intentions are now. He looked ready to kill her, yet there was something that intrigued her about him.<p>

He was tall and lean, but built well. One could clearly tell his body was toned under that white button up shirt he wore. The first three buttons were missing which exposed his strong pale chest. He was the same skin tone as she was. His hair was similar to hers, but a little shorter and his eyes were the color of chocolate. Ryou hated to admit to herself that he was extremely attractive as she unconsciously rested her hands on his toned chest. She felt she knew him. But why? She just met this man and who knows how he really is. His beautiful face took her breath away as she admired every fine detail of his face and chest. The fear she once felt was slowly fading.

However he wasn't too fond at her sudden lack of fear. He grabbed her throat tightly and stared right into her eyes. Ryou gasped loudly and her eyes started tearing up.

"P-Please don't.." She whimpered softly looking helplessly at him. He leaned in and spoke devilishly into her ear.  
>"What is your name, stupid girl?"<p>

"R-Ryou... Ryou Bakura.." The girl's knees were starting to give out due to the lack of blood circulation in her head. He noticed this and loosened his grip on her throat.

"How very interesting. It seems after countless years of searching, I've finally found you."

Ryou was confused. Had he met him before? She couldn't recall any moment in her life where she met this man. Whoever he was. he made her heart race faster.  
>"W-What? Have we met before? What is your name?"<p>

"Silly mortal, you have much to learn. My name is Bakura. Now I'm afraid you have something that belongs to me and I demand that you give it back before I kill you." Now she was even more confused. His name was her last name. Could it be a mere coincidence? His face was expressionless and Ryou's heart raced with fear. This man was most likely going to kill her but what did she have that belonged to him?

"Bakura..." Saying her own name to someone felt a bit strange to her. "...what do I have that belongs to you? I-I'll return it, I promise! " her innocent eyes tearing up. Bakura loved to see this young girl at his mercy. She had his millennium ring.

He grabbed the ring that rested between them and it started glowing giving off a burning sensation to his hand.  
>"Fuck!" He quickly let it go and released the girl from his hold. Ryou noticed the ring's strange behavior and she grabbed it tightly and held it to her chest.<p>

"You have my millennium ring, mortal." His initial plan was to just take it from her and leave for good but since she carried the ring and kept it safe, it had formed a bond with her and although it belonged to him, the ring had chosen her.  
>That's when he understood that the girl standing before him was his light and he was her darkness. He had a special link with her now. He cursed himself under his breath. He was surprised the ring had chosen her. He thought the girl had the ring by mistake but now everything has changed.<p>

"Bakura? I'm sorry that happened. The ring tends to hurt me too... But if it really belongs to you and you'd spare me my life for it.." She began to slip the chain off her neck when Bakura placed his hands on top of hers.  
>"Don't. You don't know a damned thing about the millennium ring you foolish girl!" She flinched at his raised voice. Just because she was his light didn't mean HE had to treat her nicely. Of course, only he will have that privilege. Anyone else who tried it would pay severe consequences. He sighed heavily. He had to deal with this girl for a long time now.<p>

"Light, I don't have a place to stay. I demand you take me to your house." He stated dryly. He was tired of not sleeping in a good bed and if he finally found his light, the least she could do for him was give him a place to stay. Or so he thought.  
>Ryou was caught off guard by his request.<br>_'Did he just call me light? I thought I told him my name..'_ She mused for a moment until Bakura impatiently pulled on her arm causing her to shake away from her thoughts. It was only natural to refuse to let him stay at her house. She didn't know him at all and who knows what he might try to do to her, yet something inside of her told her to lead him home as if it were her obligation to do so. The millennium item slightly burned her as well whenever she thought of giving him a flat out 'no' and running away.

"I-I can't understand why I'm doing this, Bakura... You're obviously a bad guy but somehow I feel obligated to help you..." She sighed.  
>"Come. Follow me."<p> 


	3. Chapter 3

_Chapter 3- Yami_

Ryou struggled to unlock her door. Her hands were trembling knowing that Bakura, a man who nearly killed someone, was standing behind her. He seemed like a dangerous and ruthless individual, capable of committing any crime at any point. He stood closely behind her and she could feel the warmth from his body behind her.

"Give me the damned key, girl!" Bakura was growing impatient and and pushed the girl aside, taking the house key in one swift movement. He managed to unlock the door in less than a second. Ryou thought he had the hands of a thief. Bakura opened the door and ignoring chivalry completely, he let himself inside first and darted his gaze toward Ryou's brown living room couch. He lazily flopped on the couch, kicking his feet up on the center table.  
>"I'm fucking starving, that fruit I stole earlier wasn't enough." He said mostly to himself.<p>

Ryou was quick to catch his remark and it legitimately pissed her off.  
>"So you're the thief!? I nearly lost my hands to an insane foreign vendor because of you!"<p>

She got into so much trouble thanks to him. She should have known better. She had white hair but knew fully well that she didn't steal anything. Since Bakura happened to be there when she got into trouble and he had white hair of his own, it would only be logical that he was the real thief. Bakura looked at her through the corners of his eyes and furrowed his brows. He looked annoyed with Ryou and didn't feel like dealing with her whining, but since he was now stuck with her, he figured he'd let her know who the hell calls the shots around here. He sighed heavily and slowly got up and approached her. He pulled out his pocket knife and rested it's tip on her chin. She sharp tip of the blade only needed a little more pressure to fully pierce a small cut on her chin. Ryou gulped loudly and looked up at the thief with trembling eyes. She felt the sting of the blade's tip on her lower chin and bit down on her lip to not whimper out loud.

"But I stopped that from happening, didn't I, my light? If I would've known you were such an ungrateful bitch, I wouldn't of interfered. Now, would you like to suffer the same fate as that foolish vendor?"  
>Ryou looked up at him incredulously. He was significantly taller than her and although he acted like such an asshole, she couldn't help but find him intriguing. However, she knew to keep a safe distance and started to lean backwards and back away slowly with very small steps, hoping that he wouldn't do anything to her.<br>After a long moment of silence, he put his knife back in his pocket and walked into her kitchen.

He was about to open the refrigerator door when he caught a glimpse of the note taped to the door.  
>He smirked.<br>_'So my light will be all alone for a while...'_ He would make her life a living nightmare. He did it to everyone. Why should she be an exception? He grabbed one of her father's beers and popped it open.  
>He liked her home. It was quite comfortable. He turned to look at her but found that she was gone.<br>_'Silly mortal.'_ He thought to himself.

Ryou didn't want to be around him much longer. She ran upstairs while he wasn't looking and locked herself in her room. She was sure he'd kill her sooner or later. Even though she knew this before hand, she still led this stranger into her home. She didn't understand why. Most people would think she was crazy for doing such a thing. Whether it was sympathy, empathy, or just he curiosity getting the best of her, she didn't exactly know. She looked down at her ancient artifact and remembered what Bakura had said.

_'My Millennium Ring..' _At least she knew what to call this treasure of hers. But why did she have it if it belonged to Bakura? Why did the ring react so ruthlessly to his touch? Ryou was convinced that her ring held very obscure powers, after all, Ryou was a believer of magick and its practices. She held the ring in her hands and studied it. The Egyptian artifact began to glow and one of its spikes began to point towards the door. Ryou raised her eyebrow and stared in the direction the item pointed at.

_'What are you trying to tell me...?' _The ring suddenly stopped and its spike just fell down pointing towards the ground. The glow it had was now gone. Ryou sighed and decided it was best to just get to sleep. She locked her door from the inside just in case the thief downstairs tried to get in her room and kill her in her sleep. Was it logical for her to think that? She was certain that there was a high possibility of it happening.

She was rummaging through her closet to find her sleepwear. She was just going to leave the thief down there and prayed he wasn't there when she woke up.  
>She slipped on her violet satin nightgown that accentuated her lovely curves and exposed much of her smooth legs. Her newly named 'millennium ring' hung low around her neck, resting on her flat stomach. The gold was freezing to the touch, making her shiver under the thin fabric.<br>As she stood in front of the mirror trying to tie her hair up, she noticed her room being consumed by Dark shadows. The same shadows that haunted her dreams. The same shadows that she had seen with Bakura. Ryou felt her heart stop and the temperature of her body dropped, making her even more pale. Behind her appeared a very realistic looking monster and Ryou saw it behind her through the mirror. She gasped and turned around quickly and saw more monsters in the room. A white snake slithered around her leg and noticed it was connected to and served as the lower body to a man who looked like a monster with a horn on his forehead and small wings on his back. He was white as well. These fiends were vaguely familiar to her. She didn't remember seeing them anywhere else but she felt that it wasn't her first time seeing them. Whatever the case may be, these creatures were grotesque. Ryou panicked, and screamed for help but she couldn't even hear her own voice. Her eyes were glassy as the teas began to fall down her cheeks. Ryou broke out in a cold sweat and tried convincing herself it was a dream. It was the only thing she could do at this point. She couldn't move, or scream for help.

_"This is not a dream..."_ Whispers suddenly filled the room and Ryou tried her luck and attempted to run away but the snake held her in place. She was so scared and fell to her knees. She held both of her hands to her ears to try to block out the horrifying roars of the creatures and hear herself instead.  
>"It's not real. It's not real. It's not real!" She repeated the same phrase over and over again to convince herself it was all a product of her imagination. She sobbed and felt helpless. A man eater bug approached her, it's disgusting mouth wide open while it roared at her. He looked up and came face to face with the fiend. Her eyes widened at the sight and she knew this was the end of her or her dream.<p>

Seconds later the monsters dissolved into thin air and the shadows surrounding her room also disappeared revealing a smiling Bakura leaning against her door.  
>He found the whole thing amusing, tormenting his light. He watched as she sat on her knees crying and shaking. The broken girl hugged herself as she looked at the smiling thief wide eyed.<p>

"I would feed your mind to the shadows, but then I wouldn't have a little toy to play with, now would I?"  
>He laughed sadistically at the thought and at her. She was useless to him. He didn't need such a weak mortal as his light and he still didn't understand why the ring had chosen her.<p>

Ryou didn't know how he did that, but she was sure that he wasn't a normal human being. Her legs shacked as she got on her two feet. Her voice trembling as she spoke.  
>"Who are you?" Her voice was dry and her face showed held a very confused expression. The life in her eyes was gone and replaced by dark orbs.<br>Bakura studied her intently. She was small but very mature- physically. Her violet night gown hugged her curves and the gown had a low v neckline that revealed her perfectly round breasts and outlined the top of them with a lacy fabric. Her exposed neck and shoulders looked so smooth. HIS millennium ring adorned her beautiful body hanging low around her neck. She looked good wearing it. Sexy even. The girl was gorgeous and he suddenly had the desire to claim her. However, he pushed those thoughts aside as quickly as they came. He cursed himself for not being able to control his urges.

"I said who the fuck are you!?" Ryou ran up to him, her small fists hitting his chest as she cried desperately for an answer. Bakura was surprised at his light and could feel her frustration. He could feel every emotion running through her. Her trembling form close to his. He was never one to be surprised at the reactions of his victims but for some reason he was caught off guard and felt a very small percentage of guilt.  
><em>'Huh?! Me? Feeling guilty about tormenting someone? I live for this. I am the darkness that consumes these silly mortals. I don't feel any pity whatsoever..' <em>His mind was conflicted and he tried to convince himself he didn't feel bad for her.

"Stupid girl. You have much to learn about me and that millennium ring around your neck." He grabbed it and held it to her face. It shined brightly between them.

"You were the one to find my ring, and because of that you and I are connected. It took me so many years to finally reunite myself with it. Now you want to cry wolf? Deal with the consequences of the ring, foolish mortal. Now you have me to deal with and I'll be sure to make your life a living nightmare." His voice was dark and evil. A twisted smirk played across his face and his eyes were suddenly a fiery Crimson.

"And if you try ratting me out to anyone, they won't believe you my little light. They'll think you're crazy."  
>Ryou stood quiet processing his words. He was right. What would the authorities say if she told them what just happened?<br>_'Officer! There's this man who is summoning real monsters to torment me!'_ They'd probably laugh at her. If this ancient artifact really did connect them, why would he hurt her? She looked up at him, his hands still gripping the millennium ring. Her trembling hand lightly touched his. The ring reacted to the light and darkness coming into direct contact with it. It began to take their minds in what many people consider 'memory lane' but these visions were coming and going as soon as they appeared. Ryou could see so many images flash before her eyes at the speed of light. But she couldn't exactly make them all out. However, her quick eye got an accurate glimpse into one significant vision of what looked like a city ablaze.

She gasped at the burning sensation that grew from inside of her it was causing her physical pain but the visions wouldn't stop flashing before her eyes. Her hand was still on Bakura's and his still tightly gripped the millennium item. However, Bakura quickly pushed her back with significant force and broke the unexplainable transfer that was taking place. She fell backwards and landed on her bottom, gasping and with a clear lack of energy. She looked him in the eyes and noticed that Bakura looked angrier than before. His eyes were burning with anger and his fists were tightly clenched together.

"Don't you dare do that again. What you saw was nothing! Never speak of it again, do you understand me?"  
>Ryou struggled but managed to nod her head. She could hear her heart pounding in her head. Could it be that he saw what she just saw? She realized the suddent contact took a toll on her. It took nearly all of her energy and she felt significantly weaker.<br>He looked down at her in disgust and hate. He scoffed and turned to walk out the door, but Ryou couldn't just let him leave without telling her one thing.

"Bakura wait!" He didn't stop but he walked slow enough for him to hear her next question.

"Are you going to tell me who you are..?" Her voice was only above a whisper.

Bakura stopped suddenly and just stood for a long moment.  
>"I'm your Yami."<br>His face took the form of a devil and his body became black and phantom like as he charged toward her.


	4. Chapter 4

_Chapter 4- "A blessing or a curse."_

4

Ryou woke up abruptly panting, sweating, and gasping for air. Had it all been a dream? Was Bakura downstairs or had he left? Did she even encounter him at all? She got out of bed and took very light steps heading downstairs. The living room was silent and the couch was empty. Bakura was gone. She felt conflicting emotions but finally let out a sigh of relief. She didn't know why she even felt slightly disappointed with his absence.

A loud knock was heard from down stairs. The sound broke her out of her thoughts and she immediately jumped out of bed. She grabbed her robe and threw it on before heading downstairs to open the door.  
>Ryou opened the door to find two police officers smiling at her. Despite their friendly smiles, they still had a professional demeanor that screamed, 'we mean business.'<p>

"Hello miss, we're sorry to take up some of your time but there's Been many theft and burglary reports going on. Do you happen to suspect of anyone? Any trace that could lead us to the thief?"  
>Ryou knew exactly who they were talking about. She could tell them what she saw yesterday and basically 'rat him out' but no matter how much she wanted to tell, she just couldn't. She didn't want anything to happen to Bakura for some reason.<p>

_'Why the hell should I care what happens to him? That guy is nuts! It will be best to get him out of my life as soon as possible...'_ Ryou stood silent as she thought of him. _'If I describe him to them, they'll find him in no time at all and I'll feel safe again. That's it! I'm going to tell these cops who the thief is!'_ Ryou has made up her mind and was determined not to back out.

"Oh no officers, I'm sorry I haven't a clue who this person might be. I'm sorry I couldn't help.."  
><em>'What?! That's not what I intended to say.. or was it..?'<em> She smiled weakly at the officers. They seemed disappointed but nodded in understanding.

"That's quite alright, just call in if you see him." They turned and started walking off her property.

"Will do. Good day!" She waved and closed the door. She let out a sigh. Whether it was relief or disappointment, she didn't know. Her heart had betrayed her and her tongue obeyed her heart's command instead of her brain's. She didn't know why she felt this obligation to protect him.

"Why didn't you tell them anything?" Ryou heard his voice but she didn't see him anywhere.

"Bakura? Where are you..?"  
>The curtains blocked all light from the outside from coming into her living room area and the dark grey walls made it difficult for her to see where he might have been hiding. She looked around defensively and tried to make out the direction in which she heard his voice. With just a blink of the eye, he appeared before her. A devilish grin played across his handsome face. Ryou was startled by his sudden presence.<br>_'How did he do that?'_

"Baku-" he grabbed her throat and slammed her on the door. Ryou gasped and placed both of her hands on the strong hand that was practically choking her.

"You're hurting me.."

"Foolish girl. After the things I've been putting you through, you protect me?" He pulled out his knife and held it close to her cheek. The cold metal gave Ryou shivers.

"I could kill you right fucking now and there would be nobody to protect you. All because you kept your pretty little mouth shut." He applied pressure to the dagger and smoothly made a small cut on her cheek.  
>Ryou yelped in pain and instinctively tried to push him away.<br>The small cut started to bleed very slowly. A little drop of blood slowly fell down her cheek.

"Do you want to know why you chose not to speak against me?" He purred into her ear with a low voice. Ryou remained silent. She didn't want to entertain him and she was also curious as to why she protected him, because even she didn't know the answer.  
>Suddenly she felt her cheek getting slightly wet. Bakura licked the blood off of her face slowly and forced her to look him in the eye by gripping her jaw tightly. As his tongue traveled slowly up her cheek, his eyes burned holes into hers. He was an expert at making any situation uncomfortable for her.<p>

"It's because your loyalty belongs to me, my dear. You would never betray me..." He let go of her neck and slowly and closed his eyes shut. He was trying to contain his animal instincts and not try to take the beautiful girl right in front of him. Her silky robe started to smoothly travel down her shoulders exposing her nightgown underneath. This was not helping the situation and he took a deep breath.

"Fuck I need a smoke." He let her go and turned away from her. His entire hand gripped on his face as he cursed himself under his breath. Ryou remained silent feeling both a little fearful and excited. Her cheek started to sting and she remembered what had just occurred a few moments ago. Bakura stood still, but moments later he went out the door without saying a word.

_'I don't know if you're a blessing or a curse..._' Ryou sighed.

Bakura never returned. He was gone, but that's not to say Ryou didn't see him in her dreams. They were more like nightmares, each one feeling slightly more realistic than the next. She would wake up with light bruises and cuts. However, in the real world, Ryou found herself to be very busy over the past few weeks. Although he did cross her mind from time to time and she wondered why he left mysteriously, Ryou focused solely on graduation. Thankfully, it all went well. She was expecting the worst but she managed to walk across the stage without falling like she thought she would.  
>Now Ryou had time to do what she'd been dying to do all along.<p>

"Little Ryou! I haven't seen you in quite a while. I've missed your pretty face, darling!" The tall brunette looked down at Ryou. She wore a plaid pencil skirt with a long sleeved ruffled top. Her black heels adding height to her already tall form.

"Miss Jane, how are you? Sorry I haven't come lately. I've been quite busy." Ryou smiled apologetically and approached the tall brunette's desk.  
>"But I'm here now... And it feels great to visit this lovely place again."<p>

"Oh Ryou, you remind me so much of myself when I was your age. The library was like my sanctuary!"

"Which is why you chose to be a librarian!" Ryou giggled. She felt the same about the library being her sanctuary.

"Precisely, but tell me, what brings you here tonight? Any special book you've got in mind?" The librarian asked genuinely curious and interested.  
>Ryou looked hesitant for a moment as she thought of something to respond to the librarian.<p>

"Well actually Miss Jane, I've just come to browse. See which lovely book catches my eye. I should go look around now.."

"Alright dear, just call me over if you need assistance."

Ryou walked off and headed towards the elevator. The library was a rather large one, and there was indeed a particular subject she sought after.  
>The silver doors of the elevator slid open and Ryou pressed the button that would take her to the 6th floor.<br>The 6th floor consisted of historical texts and documents that could not be checked out. Ryou had a feeling that whatever she was looking for, she'd find it there.

Ryou headed towards the back and began to search for books related to ancient Egypt. Her purpose in coming tonight was to finally learn more about her millennium ring.  
><em>'Or Bakura's ring..'<em>

Her fingers delicately ran through the shelves as her eyes actively scanned the titles printed on the spines of the books.  
>Her finger touched a certain book and she felt the book burn her finger tip. She flinched at the slight sting she felt on her finger and pulled her hand away. A mysterious book caught her eye. Ryou wanted to remove the book from the shelf but hesitated a bit. Something inside of her triggered her to become very suspicious of the book that was on the shelf in front of her. Her millennium ring started to glow and its middle spike pointed directly at the book.<p>

_'My ring must want me to examine this book..'_ She carefully slide the old book out of the shelf and carried the massive thing to the nearest table and began scanning the cover. It was a very thick book, it's edges were worn out significantly and its pages were either stained or loosing their color. The book itself looked extremely old. Ancient even. There was no text on it's cover. Not a title nor an author's name was printed anywhere on the outside.

She carefully flipped the book open to the first page.  
>"The Millennium Spellbook," she read out loud to herself. However, she realized it was all written in ancient Egyptian text. Ryou almost fell out of her chair.<p>

'I-I can read that?! It's all so clear to me.. as if it were written in English! B-But how?!'

A strong wind passed her and it caused the book to flip its old pages to another random page. This freaked Ryou out. She was in a library. That wasn't a particularly outside. So where did the wind come from? She stared down at the book before her and couldn't help but to give into her curiosity and read the page.

'The Millennium Items... It looks like mine along with other ancient items..'  
>This was no coincidence. Ryou was certain this page had been exposed to her for a reason and she was determined to read the text in order to discover more.<p>

She studied the pictures carefully and read the text. It was a dark magical spell containing instructions on how to create these items. They were to bring peace to Egypt. These were the millennium items and there were seven, and Ryou had one of them. She learned that they possessed ancient powers far beyond comprehension. However, she also read that in order to create these treasures, human sacrifices were to be made. The mere thought of a human sacrifice made Ryou shiver in fear. She could only imagine how horrifying it was for several to be made. She looked down at her own ancient artifact and wondered why she had crossed paths with it.

Ryou began reading further, learning about the shadows and shadow alchemy. The more she read, the more confused she became.

'What's Bakura got to do with all this?' she began flipping through more pages and suddenly the same burning spark was felt on her fingers. This caused the Millennium ring to react and it started becoming hot. It burned Ryou but also clouded her mind with images flashing rapidly. The same burning village, women and children running, crying and screaming... The men trying desperately to protect their families. She slipped through more pages and more visions invaded her mind. She saw a small boy with short white hair. He stood alone with fear and horror in his eyes hiding behind a small stone home as he watched his people getting brutally murdered by strong men in horses. Black smoke and ashes filled the air.

Ryou wasn't even reading the book anymore. She just flipped through the pages and with each page of the book, another image flashed before her eyes, each one passing at the speed of light until her mind could not take it anymore and the burning sensation on her chest became much too strong. She violently closed the book and quickly stood up, causing the chair she was sitting on to fall back. Her head bent down, eyes closed tight, and her fists on the table supporting her. She panted and gasped for air. Tears rolled down her cheeks. The visions haunted her and were so emotionally distressing, especially for such a kind hearted girl like Ryou.

However there was a word on the tip of her tongue. All she had to do was open her mouth and say it. She didn't know where she heard it or even learned it from, but she knew for a fact that she never heard of it until this instant. The word wasn't anywhere in the text, it just came to her like magic.

"Akefia..." She whispered and finally opened her eyes. Only to see that the ancient book was now gone.


	5. Chapter 5

***Smutty chapter. You have been warned.***

* * *

><p>Chapter 5- <em>"Thoughts are the shadows of our feelings- always darker, emptier, and simpler." -Friedrich Nietzsche <em>

5

"Where is that little girl?" Bakura scoffed as he laid on an old dusty couch of an abandoned home he had found the other day while participating in his night 'activities.'  
>He was feeling especially frustrated because his link with little Ryou was weak and he didn't know why.<br>_'It's as if something is stopping me from figuring out where she is, what she is doing, what she is thinking...'_  
>He sighed as he squeezed a pack of cigarettes in his left hand. All but one were missing.<p>

_'Little bitch must be trying to avoid me anyway possible. No worries. She'll come around sooner or later.'_ He laughed to himself. Truth be told, he was quite bored and wanted to have a little fun with his light. He found entertainment in haunting her dreams every night. It gave him something to do. Now that he had found his millennium ring, he hadn't been doing his usual night time activities like sneaking into others' homes to get a hold of some of their most prized possessions. Often times he also entertained his needs and would go to a strip club, or find an easy wench to fuck for the night. However, he never stopped smoking. He found the little cancer sticks quite relaxing.

In reality, he had been avoiding her. He didn't know why he couldn't control himself around her. He wanted her, desired her, and craved her. '_Those beautiful rose pedal lips.._' He thought. It was as if she had sparked something inside of him that had been missing for so many years of wandering around. He cursed himself for thinking of his light in that way. He wouldn't be visiting her tonight, no, he couldn't.

In a way, he envied her. He envied her innocence and her mortality. Many would think that being immortal would be one of the most exciting things. To witness so many important events, and watch the world around you rapidly change, and watch mankind slowly destroy the world that has in turn, given them so much. It was a very lonely and miserable life. No one was permanent. He had to learn this lesson the hard way. He didn't have a family or any friends and he didn't have a true purpose to live. There wasn't much he could do at this point in time. He was all alone in this world and all he really wanted was for his soul to be at rest.

Bakura wasn't one to stay in one quiet place for too long. It led to him being lost in his own thoughts and his thoughts were always dark and unpleasant. He blamed Ryou for it. If she hadn't come into this life as his host, he wouldn't be so damned confused. Why did she make him feel like this? Bakura crushed the empty cigarette box in his hand and angrily got up and left the vacant home. He wasn't going to let one woman ruin his mood when there were many others who practically threw themselves at him.

"Mr. Crowley, it's been a while since you last came to see me, honey. I've missed you so much.." The blond seductively purred into his ear. Bakura smirked, he found it hilarious how gullible 'mortals' could be. He told everyone in this cabaret that his name was Alister Crowley and they actually believed him. Either they were gullible or very fucking ignorant.

"Shut the fuck up. I don't want to hear your annoying voice, girl." He grabbed the pretty blond's arm and pulled her in for a very rough kiss.  
>The girl was used to such treatment from 'Alister.' She had been one of the usuals that offered her services to him. Of course, everything was strictly business. The girl had an agenda of her own.<br>The wet kiss lasted a few moments more until Bakura broke it off. The blond understood that was her cue to lead him into the infamous red velvet rooms.  
>His mind was still distracted. Little Ryou wouldn't go away. He got angrier.<br>"That bitch." He said in a low voice.  
>The blonde turned around and gave him a 'what the fuck?' kind of look, but she kept walking.<br>She led him into the room and he sat on the large bed while 'Nina' went to retrieve the vodka and whiskey that were complimentary to the service.

Bakura didn't waste any time and stripped himself from his jeans and boxers. When Nina returned, he grabbed a bottle of vodka from her and pushed her down to her knees.

"You know what to do. Now go ahead!" He was impatient and quickly popped the bottle open as he gulped down a massive amount of alcohol. His face looking even more sinister than before.  
>The blond did as she was told and gripped his large length in her hand. Her red lips lightly kissed his tip and in a matter of seconds, she took him in her mouth completely.<br>The sudden sensation making him groan as he gulped more of the vodka down his throat.  
>Nina bopped her head back and forth quickly, his member wet with her saliva.<br>Bakura placed a hand roughly on the back of her head and pushed his length all the way down her throat until lipstick smeared on his body. He held her in place as the poor blond gagged and sunk her nails deep into his thigh. Her eyes widened, she needed air.  
>He let her go and she instinctively pulled back gasping for air but Bakura wasn't satisfied and he pulled her head in again. He laughed devilishly and a twisted smirk appeared across his face at the sight of the struggling girl taking him in.<p>

He pulled himself out of her mouth and grabbed her by the arm to get her back on her feet, only to be thrown violently on the bed.  
>He was a selfish bastard and was not about to pleasure her. If anything he was the only one demanding pleasure and using this girl's body for release. Thus with no warning her rammed his length into her. He cringed at how loose she was and suddenly felt disgusted but either way, he was going to use her. The girl yelped in pain as he began thrusting into her long and hard, causing the headboard to bang against the wall and the bed to bounce violently. She moaned loudly, enjoying Bakura's rough treatment.<p>

"Shut the fuck up!" He growled and put a hand over her mouth to muffle her moans. He didn't want to hear it, and he didn't want her to enjoy it.  
>He wrapped long, thin fingers around her throat and squeezed as he started pumping into her faster and rougher. The girl's eyes now filled with fear as she started feeling more pain than pleasure.<br>His eyes were closed right as he felt himself near the edge. He quickly pulled out of her and dragged her off the bed, her back now against the bed as he stood over her, he smacked her cheek and she knew she had to open her mouth for him. He came directly into her hot mouth.  
>"Swallow it." He ordered and she did as she was told.<p>

Again, Bakura didn't waste any time and pulled up his boxers and put on his jeans as quickly as he could. He grabbed the bottle of vodka and took it with him on his way out of the velvet room, leaving the blond alone.

"First he destroys my pussy and now he leaves without saying anything? What a dick." She got up and headed to the bathrooms to wash up before going back to work.

Ryou was still awake in her room. Wether she genuinely could not sleep or chose not to have her dreams haunted, she did not know.  
>She sat at her desk in the corner of her bedroom. The lights were off except the lamp that hovered over her desk.<br>Pencils, papers, erasers, and pencil shavings covered her desk. Ryou was drawing. It was something she liked to do to keep her mind off of things. However, this time it wasn't helping because she was drawing exactly what was troubling her young mind.

She focused her entire concentration on the drawing. Ryou was actually a very good artist, her skill was good enough to draw realistic images occasionally winning her the first place ribbon when she was in high school art class.  
>She was recreating a vision she saw earlier in the library, the one that stuck to her the most.<br>She lightly stroked the paper with her pencil, adding detail to her subject.  
>She erased a couple of times but after a few long minutes, she got it just right.<br>_'Ah, there.. Much better...'_ She thought to herself as she stared at her creation. It was a drawing of a little boy, the scenery behind him looked like the aftermath of a burned down village.  
>She looked at it intently as if to magically will the vision to come back to life again and flash before her eyes. The small child looked so innocent. She didn't know why such an unfortunate event took place nor did she understand why she felt such a strong connection to this child.<br>Ryou noticed a small wet circle on the paper and she realized she started tearing up. She quickly wiped her eyes clean. She didn't want to ruin her precious drawing. Especially one that meant a lot to her for some unknown reason.

She didn't even know who this boy was, but felt a strong connection with him. Ryou traced her fingers along the pencil marks that created the boy's face. The word had come back and it was once again sitting on the tip of her tongue.  
>"Akefia.." She lightly whispered.<br>_'What does it mean? Unless... Could it be?'_ She looked down at the drawing again and her mind made the connection.  
>"Akefia. Your name is Akefia.. But who are you and why do I seem to care so much about you?" She thought back to the events in the library earlier that day. How just a couple of minutes with the old book were in reality hours. She had walked in the library when it was bright and sunny and left exactly at one in the morning.<br>Bakura's face suddenly appeared into her thoughts and she shivered. How is it that the spirit of her millennium ring turned out to be such a mean, sadistic man.. And even though he has haunted her dreams and scared her every time she saw him, she couldn't help but be intrigued by him. She actually wanted to see him, just as long as he was actually nice to her. She wanted to know more about him. Ryou's curiosity always got the best of her.

A cold breeze surrounded her room and Ryou's millennium ring began to glow dimly.  
>He was here.<br>_'Speak of the devil...'_ She thought.  
>She gulped loudly as she turned around slowly to look at her door.<br>He stood still, his arms crossed over her chest. He was handsome as always but something was off about him. He looked pretty fucked up. His hair was disheveled and his clothes were wrinkled up. The rank smell of cigarettes and Ra knows what else filled the air. Ryou got up from her chair and slowly walked towards him but stopped at a safe distance once she got a better glimpse of his face. He looked angry. His Crimson eyes burned holes into her small form.

"Light," he stated simply. His voice husky and thick. He walked over to her and stood right in front of her.  
>"I haven't visited you in a while my dear, enjoying the peace?"<br>Ryou gagged at the sudden alcohol filled stench that crept up her nose.  
><em>'Oh god, he's been drinking..'<em> Ryou thought as she backed away slowly from him but he swiftly grabbed her hand and stopped her.

"Bakura, you're-"  
>His warm lips crashes onto hers as he wrapped his arm around her small waist. Ryou was caught completely off guard and didn't know how to react to the sudden invasion of her lips his breath smelled of alcohol and cigarettes and she did not like it one bit. She tries to push him off but she was too weak. All she could do was close her lips tightly and block him out and lean backwards in an effort to separate their lips.<br>Bakura was never one to be rejected and he immediately stopped upon realizing that Ryou didn't even attempt to kiss him back.  
>"You're gonna stand here and lie, telling me you didn't like that?" He yelled angrily at her. His voice was husky and held a tone of great disappointment and annoyance.<p>

"Bakura you're drunk, you don't know what you're doing." Ryou tried to sound as calm as possible but her heart was pounding out of her chest. He was clearly unstable and she feared for her life. If he was a crazy demented man when sober, she could only imagine how he'd be like not sober.

"Drunk?" He scoffed but then narrowed his eyes at her as if to realize something.  
>"You've never been with a man. Have you, my dear?"<p>

Ryou's face flushed and she could feel all the heat in her face. He was right, but he didn't need to know that. It was her business anyhow.  
>"Bakura, now is not the time to discuss such things. You're drun-"<p>

"Drunk? Would a drunk man make you feel this good?" He lifted her up and threw her on the soft bed. He got on top of her and began to trail kisses on her collar bone. Ryou involuntarily moaned at his kisses. His soft lips against her warm skin triggered something inside her that was completely foreign to her.  
>He nibbled on her neck taking in her sweet strawberry scent. It was intoxicating and once he had a bite, he couldn't get enough.<br>Ryou hated herself for enjoying everything he was doing to her and continued to moan softly under his touch. She felt her arms and legs go limp and couldn't bring herself to push him away. His large hands slid down her smooth sides and hitched up her short nightgown up exposing her stomach and pretty white lace panties. He hooked a finger on the side of her knickers, the sudden feeling caused alarm bell to rapidly ring in her head and forced Ryou to come back to her senses. She shot her eyes wide open and grabbed on his wrist.

"Bakura, don't." She panted. He ignored her and got loose from her grip and began trailing wet kisses down her stomach.  
>Ryou began to panic. She didn't want her first time to be this way, especially with someone who was as intoxicated as Bakura was. She didn't want any of this right now and she didn't have the strength to stop his actions. Tears began to fill her eyes and she pleaded him to stop.<p>

"Bakura! Listen to me please! I don't want this!" He ignored her once again as he continued his assault. His eyes hungrily looked down at her sacred area. Ryou closed her legs tight and he quickly shot a wicked glance at her.  
>"I don't care if you don't want it. I do." He had every intention of getting his way with her, so he nibbled on her neck once again in an effort to relax her but Ryou was everything but relaxed. She was not going to let this happen.<br>She begged him to stop but he wouldn't listen. His hands now groping her thighs as he sucked on her neck. She felt helpless and afraid. He looked and was determined. The fire in his eyes had no intention of burning out.  
>Ryou's head was spinning and suddenly the visions were returning to her once again, flashing before her eyes at the speed of light. The boy, the village, fire, the shadows, the pharaoh, the ring. It all was happening to quickly and her heart burned.<p>

"Akefia stop!" It was if time itself stopped, because everything stood still. Bakura immediately stopped and he was frozen solid. His hand still on her thigh but not groping it like he was before. It just rested there. The only way Ryou knew they were both in real time was because she could hear her clock ticking softly in the background as they both panted.  
>He looked up at her slowly, his face emotionless and expressionless, Ryou's heart didn't stop pounding loudly and she could practically hear it in her ears. He looked as if he magically sobered up and after a very long moment he parted his lips to speak.<br>"What did you just say?" Ryou remained silent not knowing if what she had said angered him.  
>"Answer me, Ryou." He stated dryly, but his eyes looked desperate for an answer. He had never called her by her name before.<p>

"A-Akefia.." Her voice but a mere whisper.  
>He looked at her for a long moment and frowned. He got off from on top of her and sat on the edge of her bed silently.<p>

Ryou hugged her legs and rested her chin on her knees. The silence between them wasn't awkward. They were both in their own minds. Each individual having conflicting thoughts that plagued their minds.

_'Oh Ra, why did I say that? I didn't know what I was thinking I just blurted it out... Could it be, Bakura is really Akefia? That helpless little boy from my visions?'_ She thought for a moment the opened window letting the cold wind blow inside her room. Ryou shivered. Bakura noticed this from the corner of his eye and got up. He picked up the soft pink blanket that was thrown on the floor and gently placed it over Ryou.

"Light, I don't usually do this and don't think that I'm going to be nice to you after this, but.."  
>He looked troubled, as if the worlds suddenly escaped his mouth.<p>

"I apologize..."  
>He looked away and began walking towards the door. His hand rested on the door knob when he turned to look at her again. "...And I will answer those questions tomorrow."<br>Ryou looked at him incredulously. He had heard her thoughts and knew exactly what she was thinking in her mind.

That familiar dark smirk returned to his face moments before Ryou watched him walking out the door.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6- _'A Shadow Without a Name'_

6

_'I apologize?'_  
>The white haired yami scoffed as he kicked an empty can of soda down the alley even further. He didn't know why he felt the need to say that to Ryou. He couldn't even remember the last time he apologized to anyone for anything and he had done far more worse things. Yet, the sound of his ancient name escaping from those soft pink lips resonated in his ears, causing him to flinch slightly and clench his fist.<br>_'How pathetic!'_  
>Not very many knew him by that name and it had been so long since he actually permitted anyone to call him that. For years he had roamed the nights like a shadow without a name.<br>Still, he was slightly impressed with his light for figuring out such a secret. He wondered how she found out, or better yet, who told her. Although impressed, he was also furious. He didn't want her knowing anything about him at all. He would have to teach her a lesson on how to stop prying into peoples' pasts.  
><em>'She won't even know what hit her..'<em>

He reached the end of one alley which led to a main road. However in the late hours of the night, it was just another deserted road. He took a new route to his hideout and thus eyed every detail carefully. He observed his surroundings skillfully as he stealthily turned corners and went through more alleys. Although he was an ancient spirit, the man was like a computer nearly downloading every bit of information his sight provided to him and engraved it into his mind. He kept all of his senses alert. His ears were just as prompt as his eyes. It was what made him a good thief - no, a great thief- an excellent thief. He wasn't the King of Thieves for nothing.  
>There was a middle aged man walking slowly down a sidewalk. His suit looked ragged, white collard shirt had been stained with what looked like coffee, and eyes looking incredibly drowsy, albeit he held a metallic briefcase in his hand with a strong grip that indicated that he was still in his senses. A wrinkled tie hung loosely around his large neck like a regular man whom just happened to stay at the office catching up on work a little too late.<br>_'An easy target.'_ the thief smirked as he casually walked toward him. The man didn't seen to notice him, or maybe he just didn't care and didn't offer the white haired male a second thought. Their shoulders lightly brushed against each other as they both walked down opposite directions. To any outsider, this would have looked pretty normal and they would've been completely ignorant to the fact that the yami was now tucking his new wallet into his own pocket. It's not like he really needed the money. He had plenty from his previous 'pickings'. Maybe he was just bored. Yet, the pickpocket work wasn't exciting at all. These were amateur tasks and he knew it.

_'The night has a thousand eyes. The night tells a thousand lies.' *  
><em>His black trench coat blew in the opposite direction of his movement as well as his pointed, disheveled white mane.  
>He turned into a dark alley and let himself be engulfed by the darkness. Just then, the skies started to slightly brighten.<p>

"Light." His voice startled her and she turned to the direction of his voice. He was staring at a certain drawing that was laid flat on her desk. He studied it for a moment. He wore the same black trench coat that reeked of death. Just his mere presence in her room caused her room's temperature to drop significantly. Ryou felt uneasiness creep up inside her and she could feel the fine hairs on the back of her neck stand up. She didn't want to show how uncomfortable his sudden presence had made her and so she stood up straight and cleared her throat.

"W-What do you want?" Her posture was that of strong confidence but the look in her face couldn't fool anyone.

"That's no way to welcome your guests, Ryou Bakura." He darted his gaze from the drawing to Ryou, arching an eyebrow at her.  
>Ryou stared at him for a moment. She didn't know what to say and just stood silently. Her eyes trailed down to his shoes and she suddenly found herself to be fascinated by the pattern of his laces. Truth be told, she hated looking at him directly in the eyes. He had a conniving look and the eyes of a snake that promised to inflict pain if the situation calls for it.<p>

"Ah, the silent treatment." The thief piped up with slight annoyance and sarcasm in his voice. He lowered his gaze and the white fringe created a shadow that blacked out half of his face. Only his mouth was visible and it was slowly turning into a wicked smile. Ryou had never seen canines as sharp as his.

Ryou chewed on her bottom lip and took small footsteps backward toward her door but he approached her quickly and grabbed her wrist forcefully pulling her toward him. His eyes were a fiery crimson, a clear giveaway that he was indeed very pissed off. But why? Shouldn't it be the other way around?

"Who the fuck do you think you are to be prying into people's business? Business that doesn't concern you!" He held such a tight grip on her wrist that his nails dug into her skin, which drew blood. Ryou was too frightened to even move. Her voice was completely gone and she found herself to be holding in her breath, causing her collarbone to be even more exposed.

_'Pathetic girl.'_

"Curiosity truly _does_ kill the cat, haven't you heard? It seems like my little kitty here is a little too curious." He dug his nails deeper into her skin and this time the stinging pain was much too strong for her not to yelp and cause her knees to weaken.

"I figured we could take a little trip down memory lane,"  
>"or should I say, the shadow realm." He said it so low and dark that it sent shivers down Ryou's spine. Her eyes were wide and fixed on his devilish grin. She's gone too many times there, but it always frightened her. Each trip brought new means of torturing your mind. The millennium ring disappeared into her chest and reappeared on her yami's chest and without a minute to spare the ring unleashed its shadow magic directly at her.<p>

_'Open your eyes.'_

Ryou opened her eyes to pure blackness. Not a thing was visible to her eyes. It didn't matter if her eyes remained opened or closed, the view was the same. The spirit was nowhere to be found but she heard his voice clearly.

"Foolish girl," He laughed darkly.  
>"I am the darkness."<p>

The statement alone made Ryou shiver. She sat on her knees hugging herself and trying to block him out of her mind. But suddenly her surroundings started to change. The blackness she sat on was gaining a sandy texture and slowly but surely adopted the color of sand and dirt. The skies were still black but Ryou could see hints of glitter that she assumed to be the stars adorning the beautiful sky. Mounds of mud bricks took the form of small square-like homes. Then came the sounds. People. People started roaming around the little homes and they looked like they were enjoying their everyday lives. She could even hear the crackling of the lit torches outside of the peoples' homes. She was in the midst of the activity.

_'A village'_ She whispered silently to herself. However, no sooner after the word escaped her lips did a painful screech sound throughout the entire village causing people to panic and frantically run for safety. Ryou was too frightened to move. She had no idea what to do. She didn't even know if what she was seeing was real.  
><em>'It can't be. This is ancient Egypt.' <em>  
>She stood on her feet as she saw people hiding away in their homes and putting rocks at the bottom of their doors to prevent any intruders. Horses were heard from a distance and Ryou caught a glimpse of a very threatening army of the Pharaoh's guards. They came at full force with weapons in their hands that were ready to kill. They approached too quickly before Ryou. She was never one to have fast reflexes and the only thing she could think of doing was covering her face and closing her eyes. However, the army of guards seemed to pass right through her body.<p>

The guard's knocked over the lit torches, causing fires to sprout in different parts of the village. Screams and cries for help could be heard along with the commands and yells on the guards. She opened her eyes and gasped at the scene. She was seeing people actually get brutally slaughtered right before her eyes. The flames grew larger and no sooner was the entire village in chaos. Mud brick walls began to collapse and a polluted, grey fog began to roam the black skies and surely enough it started to affect the air she was breathing. Although she couldn't be seen or touched by anyone of the people she saw, she could feel the waves of heat, breathe in the thick air, and smell the essence of death itself.

Women hurriedly sought after their children, their fearful eyes reflecting the village ablaze. Men desperately searching for people caught in the devastating fires trying to save anyone who might've been trapped. Many of them loosing their lives in the process. She was truly disgusted at the guards and horrified at the same time. Being the sensitive person she is, its as if she could feel every single one of the victim's emotions and tears began forming in her glassy eyes.

"Save yourselves! Forget about me! Keep the children safe!" She turned to see a man tell his distraught wife to move on without him. She couldn't hold on much loner and the tears began flowing down her cheeks. Her hand lay over her mouth. She was in a state of shock. But a mysterious force pulled on the string of her heart, causing her to divert her gaze to another part of the village.  
>That's when she saw him.<br>The little boy.  
>"Mom? Dad? Where are you!?" He panicked as he found no trace of his family. He ran about, desperately trying to find a familiar face. He needed comfort, but nobody was there to give it to him.<br>This broke Ryou's heart and without thinking twice, she ran after the boy that has since haunted her. She ran after him, never fully reaching his side though, the child came to an abrupt stop.

"Akefia!" A lady yelled out.  
>"Mother! Don't worry I'll get you out of there!" The young boy cried desperately as he tried to lift the burning piece of wood from on top of his mothers form, but he was much too small and weak to get the job done.<br>"Akefia don't!" The mother cried.

Ryou cringed at the familiar phrase.

"Save yourself my boy... This place will soon collapse entirely and I don't want you to get hurt. Go!"

"No mother! I will not leave without you!" The boy cried but it was too late. More pieces of wood started falling and unfortunately landed on the woman. She was no longer visible. The boy ran out to safety.  
>The village burned and completely collapsed. What was once a peaceful community was now a dry, dark, wretched wasteland. The blue skies were now dark with clouds of smoke and ash. Coming out of the darkness and hot ash stood a single person. The young boy. It was the same exact picture Ryou had drawn the night before. Her watery eyes widened at the sight. His eyes were filled with pain and sorrow. The child was broken and left alone to fend for himself. However that same feeling from before tugged on Ryou's heart and she unconsciously called out the child's name.<p>

"Akefia!" She didn't know why she did it. The people couldn't hear nor see her. She was non existent.  
>But not to him.<br>The boy turned to the person whom just called his name and he stared wide eyed at her. No words were exchanged between the teenager and the child. Just incredulous stares. The boy reached out his hand to her and for some reason Ryou was drawn to it and she could feel her own hand trying to meet his. Their finger tips barely touched when the entire scene just dissolved and Ryou was once again left in the pitch blackness where the shadows slowly emerged and surrounded her being.

Ryou shot her eyes open and jolted up from her bed in an exasperated gasp. She panted and gasped for air that for some reason was incredibly hard to take in. she grabbed fistfuls of her bed sheets. Clutching the soft fabric reality slowly but surely sink in and she realized that she had been in her bed.

"It was only a dream bu-" She raised her hand at eye level as if to examine it like she had never seen one before.  
>b-but it felt so real..." her hand trembled. She referred to the light feeling of the child's fingertips brushing her own.<p>

She took deep breathes. In and out. To steady and regain control of her breathing. Her chest heaved up and down and she caught a glimpse of her glistening skin. The dream- nightmare had caused her to sweat immensely and she was feeling very hot even though the room was freezing cold.

_'That burning village.. that assault.. that child.'_ Ryou couldn't stop thinking about that dream and surely enough, her sharp mind was able to piece the puzzle together.  
><em>'The spell book.'<em> her eyes widened in realization.  
><em>'The village was was used for human sacrifices, which could only mean that this was the village in which the millennium items were made...'<em>

But one thing still remained on her mind.  
>'That boy..'<br>Her heart always felt like it was being tugged on whenever she thought of that innocent child. Ryou was now certain that his name was Akefia. She heard it herself in the dream. But could that dream be trusted? It might have been a product of her own imagination for all she knew. She was so stuck on the idea of this child that maybe her brain tricked her into creating that dream.  
>Ryou sighed. There was no hiding the fact. Deep down Ryou knew exactly who he was. She just had difficulty accepting the fact herself. When her yami nearly took advantage of her, he had immediately stopped upon hearing the name. It was probably a name he hasn't heard in years and thus it had so much power over him. It was his own name. Her evil, demented yami was in fact that innocent little Akefia.<p>

* * *

><p>AN  
>* I was inspired to describe BakuraAkefia like the night itself and the inspiration for that came from a song called Sunset Superman.  
>Also, did you notice how I didn't mention Bakura's name at all? Hence, "a shadow without a name."<p> 


	7. Chapter 7

This chapter is meant to shine a light on Ryou and Malik and how their friendship works.  
>Just Background info and stuff... with slight RyouxMalik.<br>The first portion of the chapter is pretty important, the rest just...is.  
>Plot will continue next chapter.<p>

* * *

><p>Chapter 7<p>

"London Frog, please."

"Sure thing!" The barista sauntered over to the different syrups and flavors used to make the different types of coffees. Ryou ordered her favorite tea. It was a cold gloomy morning. The gray skies made it impossible for Ryou to get up out of bed. She had decided to head over to her favorite cafe, taking her sketchbook with her.

"One London Frog, I added extra honey just for you!" The barista had a contagious smile and Ryou couldn't help but smile right back at her.

"Thank you," Ryou handed the barista a bill.  
>"...and keep the change." Ryou winked at the barista as she took her tea and walked over to the table in the back.<p>

A strange man walked in, a dark aura surrounded him. He walked over to the barista behind the counter and narrowed his eyes.  
>"Tea. Make it black. Take it to the table where that young lady sits." He pointed to Ryou's table, However she was too concentrated in her sketch to notice the man or hear his request.<br>"I'll be there shortly." he gave the barista the money for the tea and watched Ryou from a distance. The millennium ring hung loosely around her neck and dangled slightly as she leaned forward to get a better glimpse at the sketchbook in front of her. It was glowing dimly, reacting to his presence.

'I think it's time to formally introduce ourselves, little one.' he thought as the corners of his lips curled up in a twisted smile.

Ryou found herself drawing a messy portrait of Bakura. She couldn't deny herself that in some strange way, she was drawn to him like a moth to a flame. Surely each time she saw him, she crashed and burned, but deep inside she felt for him. Ever since she started learning more about her millennium item, she learned more about him, and she concluded to herself that he wasn't so bad. He was just filled with rage, and as much as she hated to admit it. It was a justified rage, or so she thought.  
>A s Ryou loosely scribbled lines for her subject's hair, she felt a dark force hovering over her, like someone had been watching her. Her millennium glowed dimly but did not point in any specific direction. Ryou noticed this and quickly looked up and around the coffee shop. She sensed a strange presence, but didn't see anyone that look particularly strange. She didn't even know if what her ring picked up, was even human at all.<p>

A small cup of black tea was set down in the empty space in front of Ryou. The sudden presence of the barista caught Ryou off guard and she jumped slightly surprised. The barista gave her an apologetic look as she placed an extra set of napkins between Ryou's cut of tea and the black cup of tea. For a moment, Ryou thought the barista herself was going to sit down and talk to her.

"It's for the gentleman.." She explained. Ryou was puzzled, she didn't recall agreeing to meet anyone here. Or it could be Bakura making his grand entrance like he always did. But she knew when he was near. She could feel him and whatever it is that she sensed, it wasn't him. She looked down at her cell phone and wondered if she had a missed call of message from Malik, but there was none.  
>"But I wasn't expecting any-"<p>

"Little Bakura, my dear how are you?" Came the man's twisted voice. He gave the barista a small tip and she quickly sauntered back to her work area.

Ryou looked up at the man standing in front of her. He was tall like Bakura and had wild platinum blond hair that looked impossible to tame. It pointed in all kinds of directions. His tanned skinned complemented his violet eyes that had that familiar black lining around them. He looked so much like Malik, only a lot more masculine. He reminded her so much of her best friend, but he also had a very dark aura about him. Malik was beautiful, and since they had similar features, the man was very handsome himself.

"I-I'm sorry," Ryou shock her head to stop herself from staring (and drooling.)  
>"But have we met before?" The man pulled out the chair across from Ryou and sat down.<br>He laughed darkly, his shoulders shaking as he did so.

"No, Little Bakura I don't believe we have, but I believe we might have," he licked his lips causing Ryou to shiver in her seat  
>"-mutual friends.." His eyes studied her face for a long moment.<p>

Ryou's millennium ring reacted violently and shook, causing the five pointed spikes to scratch her stomach. Ryou bit her bottom lip at the sudden pain and tucked her necklace in an inside pocket of her jacket. She looked up at the stranger in front of her. His lavender eyes were so breathtakingly beautiful, Ryou found herself in a loss for words just staring into them.

"I never imagined his light would be so... attractive." Ryou blushed lightly and suddenly felt self conscious and shrunk in her seat. She processed his words for a second.

_'His light? He must know my yami..'_ She thought.

"You're referring to Bakura." His name brushed against her lips and she found herself smiling slightly upon remembering his face.

"Perhaps." He simply stated and took a sip from his black tea.

Ryou continued to stare. He looked so familiar.  
>'Malik..' She then had an idea in mind but was unsure of whether or not it could possibly be true. What were the chances? Malik would've told her, wouldn't she? Ryou never mentioned Bakura to her at all and maybe Malik has kept this a secret from her as well. Still the chances of Malik having a yami were very slim, but something told her it was best to confirm her theory.<p>

"Malik. You're Malik's darker half aren't you? But...how?"  
>The man furrowed his brows at her, surprised at Ryou's knowledge.<p>

"You're a lot smarter than you look, little Bakura. Looks like your little friend has secrets of her own." So Ryou's suspicions were true. However, if this man was truly her yami, there's no telling what he would do to her. Concern suddenly swept over her as she thought about her best friend. Bakura hadn't been the nicest to her, and he often really hurt her. She did not want Malik to go through the same thing, nor would she forgive herself for not doing anything to stop it.

"Please," Ryou gulped as she grabbed the strangers hands in her own to emphasize the importance of what she was about to say.  
>"don't hurt Malik. She means so much to me and I love her very much. At least don't hurt her like..."<p>

The words faded. She didn't dare complete the statement.

"Like your Yami?" He laughed out loud at the thought. "I'm pretty sure I'm treating her far better than Akefia is treating you, my dear." Ryou looked incredulously at him. Her umber eyes were wide open.  
><em>'He knows?"<em>

"Listen..." Ryou's voice trailed off. She didn't catch his name. He hadn't told her.  
>"Marik." He smirked darkly.<p>

"Marik... Akefia doesn't mistreat me. I can assure you." Yet again she defended him as if trying to convince both herself and Marik. But it was all in vain. She looked down at her hands and noticed they still held on to him. She quickly leg go and put them on her lap, looking slightly embarrassed.

"Oh?" He looked amused and decided to test his theory.

"Then why do you flinch at a man's touch, my dear?" He reached over and held her chin. Just as he predicted, she flinched but he held her in place.

"Take me to your yami, little Bakura."

"How do you know him and how do I know I can trust you?" She said shakily. Her mouth was slightly agape.

"You could say we're old friends. Now, were is he?"

"I don't know where he is, Marik. He always leaves me for long periods of time." It was true. Ryou hadn't seen Akefia since he took her to the shadow realm, and that had happened days ago. However she still wasn't sure whether it was all one big nightmare of if it actually happened in the flesh.

Marik knew she was telling the truth he was one to put up with Akefia's foul mood at one point as well. He was surprised at how well Ryou looked physically. Akefia always inflicted physical damage to his hosts in past lives. However, this was the first lifetime they had both been "blessed" with a female light. It was a totally new experience for both yami's. Marik had already taken advantage of this.

"That damned Thief he's always so hard to find.. Little Bakura, my dear, when he comes back to you, please let Malik know. It's very important."  
>Ryou nodded as he got up from his chair and turned to leave the small cafe.<p>

"Wait!" Ryou called out to him getting up from her chair.  
>"Malik is okay, right?"<p>

Marik arched an eyebrow and smirked at her. It wasn't an evil looking smirk and it somehow made Ryou feel at ease. He walked out without saying another word.  
><em>'So Malik has a dark side too..'<em> Ryou sighed suddenly missing her dear friend immensely. She felt so alone.

She took her cell phone out and decided to give her a call. The phone rang for a few seconds until a light cheery voice was heard from the other line. Ryou smiled upon hearing her voice.

"Hey babe! We finally get to talk after such busy weeks, huh!?" Malik didn't have to ask who it was, she had a ringtone specifically set for Ryou.

"Yes, I know.. It's been quite hectic. But Malik, listen, want to hang out or something? We've got serious catching up to do and i miss you so much."

"Mmm I was thinking the same thing.. You just cant live without me Ryou, can you?" Malik giggled on the other line before proposing an activity.  
>"Italian lemonade. One hour. Be there!" Malik had a habit of just hanging up the phone without warning. Unlike Malik, Ryou preferred warm drinks and and quiet shops that smelled of coffee. Malik's favorite lemonade shop wasn't exactly what Ryou had in mind, but if it made her best friend happy, then she would accept it.<p>

She walked into the shop and saw the familiar platinum blond hair she loved so much. Ryou quickly sprinted over to her booth.

"Malik!"  
>The beautiful Egyptian stood up and squealed with excitement. She wrapped her arms around Ryou and gave her a big smooch on the lips.<p>

"Ry! I've missed you baby! We've finally got graduation out of the way. Thank Ra!"  
>Ryou blushed as she hugged her friend back. Now that they made it out of school, they had plenty of time off to do whatever it is that they pleased.<p>

"Must you be so forward, Malik?" She giggled.

"Oh hush, you love my kisses." Malik purred in her ear.  
>Malik and Ryou had a peculiar friendship. They were best friends but occasionally had their moments. However, there was an innocence to their doings and it never went farther than a few kisses. No one ever questioned their closeness.<p>

They sat down each placing their lemonade glasses on the table. They talked about their recent doings but both danced around the subject of the Yamis.

"Malik..." Ryou felt the need to finally address the Yamis and carelessly stirred her lemonade with her blue straw.

"Hmm?" Malik looked at her while she slurped her drink.

"Well it's just that..."

"On with it Ry" Malik knew her well and knew Ryou debated whether she should ask the question or not.

"You know the last time we met, I talked to you about the strange things that would happen to me. It turned out someone was looking for me..." Malik was silent as Ryou brought up the factors that would lead to the main question.

"...and it turns out I had a Yami, and I met yours a few days ago."

Malik stopped slurping her drink and sighed. She knew this was coming. She couldn't keep the secret anymore.

"Look, Ry I didn't tell you about Marik because I didn't want to believe it myself. I thought I was going crazy! It was all so surreal.." She sighed and grabbed Ryou's hand.

"Once I confirmed that I wasn't crazy, It was only a matter of time until I told you. I honestly thought Marik was created by my own imagination." Malik smiled apologetically.  
>"It's good to know I'm not fucking crazy."<p>

"You had a millennium item all this time?" Ryou asked.

"Yes. I never really bring it anywhere but many years ago before passing away, my grandfather left me this golden rod as a gift. It stays in my home very well preserved."

They remained silent for a moment and Malik was sure that Ryou was upset with her for lying to her.

"Well, what's he like?" Ryou asked excitedly. She would never be irritated with Malik for too long.

Malik blushed and the grin on her face grew wider.  
>"Oh Ry..." She sighed<br>"Marik is unlike any guy I've ever met. A first, I admit he acted very strange and often frightened me, but once we spent more time together and talked more..." She blushed harder and giggled.

"He's just great, really. He always protects me and treats me like his queen. He appears cold and mean but behind closed doors, well... That's a different story." Malik winked seductively at Ryou. Her grin never left her face.  
>Ryou gasped and placed a hand over her mouth.<p>

"Malik! You didn't! Did you?!"

Malik hid her violet eyes under her platinum hair and just laughed. She sighed and looked up at Ryou, her beautiful eyes had a spark in them.

"Yes. Yes we did and let me tell you..."  
>Malik held her hands in the air she smirked at Ryou as she looked down at the space between them.<p>

"Malik!" Ryou laughed out loud as she quickly slapped her hands down.

"It's true Ry! I took it like a champ!" She smiled confidently.  
>"Don't worry, babe I'm still yours. No need to get jealous." She winked at the white haired girl across from her.<p>

Of all the years of knowing each other, Malik was the more experienced of the two. Ryou was too shy to try anything new while Malik was very outspoken and daring. She had a certain charm about her and was even the one to give Ryou her first real kiss.

"Oh Ra, Malik! What am I going to do with you?" Ryou laughed as she shook her head at her beautiful Egyptian friend.  
>However Malik hadn't forgotten what Ryou had said earlier.<p>

"So, Ry..." She smirked devilishly at Ryou.  
>"What's your Yami like?" Ryou's face fell at the question. She didn't know what to say.<br>'Bakura..'  
>"Bakura is-"<p>

"He has your name?" Malik blinked in confusion.

"Yeah, I know it's a strange thing. Who knows, he's probably had the name before I even existed, it just goes to show you how little I know about him. Bakura is... and interesting guy. I guess."

Malik stared at her still confused. Compared to hers, Ryou's situation didn't sound too exciting. She would've guessed that the white haired girl would talk about interesting stories with a certain spark of joy in her eyes. After all, Malik though that one's Yami was supposed to make you feel complete and content. They were supposed to share certain qualities that the other didn't have and together become even better. Marik's intelligence has certainly rubbed off on Malik to the point where she found her self wanting to learn more about ancient Egypt and the duty of her ancestors as grave keepers.

Ryou didn't look at all content with her yami and it broke Malik's heart. She cared for her friend and wanted to at least see her smile.

Malik got out of the booth and grabbed Ryou's hand, pulling her out of the booth as well.

"Come on, babe. You're spending the day with me!"

"Come on! I heard there was a sale in the little black dresses today!"  
>Malik piped up as she held Ryou's hand and led her into a luxurious boutique. The girls had spent most of their time out shopping in the mall. Ryou felt genuinely happy to be with Malik. She made all of her worries go away.<br>Malik had promised Ryou a girl's night out and that's exactly what she did. The two beautiful girls looked through various dresses. They would occasionally ask for each other's opinions on certain clothing items. Malik would stick her tongue out in disapproval or Ryou would give a big thumbs up.  
>When they each settled on three dresses to try on they headed to the dressing rooms.<p>

"When do you think we'll get to wear these beauties, Malik?" Ryou asked while looking at Malik's picks.

"Don't know, but I've chosen one just for Marik." She winked, obviously talking about the red one.

"I should've known," Ryou giggled.

Malik took one of Ryou's dresses and tossed it at her, urging her to try it on.  
>"This ones the one! I can feel it!" She said as Ryou began to undress. Ryou was completely oblivious to the fact that she still had crescent shaped cuts all over her wrist and when she took her jacket off, Malik got a clear glimpse of them.<p>

"Ryou, what happened, babe?" She asked genuinely concerned. Her tone went from happy and cheery to soft and worried.

Ryou didn't want to tell her what happened, she promised herself she would never speak of it again.

"It's nothing, Malik. I just..." how the hell would she explain crescent shaped marks? It was pretty obvious.

"Ry you''re not doing this to yourself are you?" Malik slowly ran her fingers on the cuts causing Ryou to flinch slightly.

"Of course not, Malik. I would never." It was true. Ryou did not like pain at all and wouldn't try this on herself.

"Did he do this to you?"

"No!" Ryou shot out defensively. The response came in very quickly and Malik wasn't easily fooled.

Malik furrowed her brows but her face softened moments later. She placed a hand on Ryou's cheek and sighed.

"I hope you're not lying to me Ry. I just don't want to see you getting hurt. You're much too important to me." Malik's eyes softened as she carefully looked at Ryou's beautiful facial features up close.

"I know, Malik. I'd be doing the same I something happened to you." Ryou smiled warmly at Malik. Her Egyptian friend's concern made her heart beat faster and Ryou felt guilty for saddening such a pretty face. She wrapped her arms around Malik's neck and brought her in for a soft, gentle kiss. Malik returned the kiss as the two light haired girls tasted each other's fruit flavored lips.

~*~  
>Ryou and Malik had been friends since they were little girls. Ryou suddenly remembered the first time her and Malik had shared such a kiss. It was two years ago when they stayed alone together for detention. Ryou had slapped a boy for looking under her skirt and Malik ran after him to get another two slaps. Malik talked to Ryou about her new boyfriend and how she absolutely abhorred his kissing skills. Ryou blushed and confessed that she had never kissed anyone despite having a lot of admirers. Ryou was just too shy.<p>

Malik couldn't believe how such a pretty girl like Ryou had never been kissed. She calmly asked Ryou is she ever wanted to be kissed. Ryou naturally said yes and without warning, Malik pressed her lips on Ryou's and urged her on. Ryou felt strange at first but ultimately liked the sensation and followed Malik's lead.  
>Their kiss felt like it lasted an eternity but when they finally broke it off, they both laughed out loud.<p>

"...and now you know how to kiss, babe!" Malik winked at her as she walked out of the classroom smiling at the fact that she had stolen Ryou's first kiss

Others might think that their friendship was strange but in reality, only they knew how it worked. Ryou would never do the things she did with another girl, nor would Malik. It was exclusive. They both considered each other to be completely straight, but when it came to each other, they were free to express how much they genuinely cared for one another. Which is why Ryou was never jealous when Malik dated other people. The two girls didn't date each other. They just had a connection that was impossible to explain. It was an innocent thing.

The girls finally separated from each other. Malik was stunned yet looked a hundred times better.

"Ry, I can't remember the last time you were the one to kiss me first!" She laughed as she hugged Ryou tightly.

"Couldn't stand seeing that sad face! Now come on let's try these on so we can head home."  
>Ryou said as she slipped on the short black dress.<p>

"Alright!" Malik grabbed her dresses and began to try them on as well.

It was the only way to distract Malik and deep inside Ryou felt a hint of guilt.


	8. Chapter 8

A/N: I know Yami Marik's spirit doesn't reside in the rod, but for this story, let us assume it does.*

* * *

><p>Chapter 8- <em>'Then the beast is free to wonder, but never is seen around..'<em>

The night had fallen and Bakura was out roaming the streets. He had a clear link with Ryou but chose to not interfere with her and her friend. However, he heard clearly that the girl had a yami as well. But who? He didn't catch the name. He lit himself a cigarette and pondered over the matter some more.

'From the looks of it, I'm going to have to actually communicate with that pitiful girl.' He didn't like the idea of that, but he still needed to know more about this nameless yami out there. He also had to know what the girl has concluded from her last visit to the shadow realm. If it were up to him, he would've just left her there, but she got too dangerously close.

He walked among the few people in the streets. He tucked his hands in his pockets while he looked straight ahead with a daunting look on his face. He observed any suspicious behavior and if he felt like it, he would mess with a civilians head, but now was not the time.  
>He felt a dark soul among the people but couldn't exactly make out who it was coming from. He felt he was being challenged but chose not to entertain it. There was just too many witnesses for him to unleash any kind of magick and as ruthless as he was, he didn't want to bring attention to himself.<p>

Bakura made his way to a cemetery he recalled seeing two nights ago. If the dark soul was as intelligent, it would summoned his millennium ring and it appeared around his neck. Ryou didn't need it and it technically did belong to him.

"Show yourself" Bakura was annoyed and he eyed every corner of the cemetery carefully.  
>When nothing happened, Bakura just about lost his patience.<p>

"Then you leave me no other choice." With the shadow magick of the ring he brought forth the shadows and since he controlled this darkness, he could manipulate it in anyway he pleased and thus managed to expose the dark spirit lurking around.

Bakura glared at the man standing before him.

"Not happy to see me?"

"Marik." Bakura simply said.

"The one and only. You know, you could pretend that you're happy to see me." He smirked arrogantly.

"As a matter of fact, I'm not really pleased, Marik. What in Ra's name bring you around here?" He grabbed his shirt and pulled him.

Marik put his hands up defensively but unfazed by the whole thing. The smirk still played across his face.

"That's what I'm here to talk to you about." Bakura sensed that Marik held important information and thus let him go.

"I don't wish to talk here. Let go somewhere else."

"How did you find me?" The thief asked genuinely interested.

"Don't flatter yourself. I always knew where you were. We're partners in crime. Or have you forgotten?"

"Sorry Marik, I work alone."

The two men sat on cold folding chairs made of steel. An old round wooden table stood between them with cigarette packs, lighters, ash trays, and playing cards on top of it. Like Bakura, Marik had a link to his light and knew the girls would be out. This meant that Bakura would most likely not interfere and thus, Marik took the opportunity to finally pay the thief a visit after many years.

"If you knew where I was, why did it take you so long to come?" Bakura eyed his former acquaintance, he never fully trusted him but they shared a hatred for a certain individual.

"I had a few... arrangements to do before anything else." Bakura narrowed his eyes at him, but decided not to question it. He would find out sooner or later.

"This place smells like shit, but that's no surprise. You and your thievery. Guess we're partners in crime again, aren't we?" Marik grinned as he remembered all the trouble he and Bakura caused in the past.

"I told you. I work alone. But apparently. I can never rid myself of you. You're like a fucking parasite. Don't complain about the place either. You weren't the one busting your ass trying to find a place, now we're you?" Bakura scoffed but Marik knew he was only joking. Bakura had the driest humor he's ever known.

"I spoke with your light. Charming young girl. How'd she get so unlucky to end up with such a twisted bastard?" Marik took a drag from his cigarette as he drew a card and lay it flat on the table.

Bakura darted his gaze over at Marik.

"What business do you have speaking to her?" The fact that Marik had spoken to her alone did not sit well with him. He knew Marik almost like the back of his hand and the guy always brought trouble along.

"Don't get mad. I wouldn't dare harm your precious light Although she seems pretty interested in you. Caught a glimpse of her artwork." Marik mocked. He knew he was hitting a nerve and he enjoyed watching Bakura's mood grown fouler by the second.

"I don't care." He simply said as he lit another cigarette.  
>"Does this mean you are the spirit those two were talking about earlier?"<p>

"I'm not surprised that you would use that link of yours to eavesdrop on those girls' conversation. But to answer your question, yes. Malik is my light. The girl possessed the millennium rod somehow. And speaking of which, those two seem to be having fun alright." He smirked as he dwelled into Malik's mind and felt her emotions.

Bakura caught the notion and out of curiosity decided to check on Ryou.  
>"What is the meaning of this?" He didn't very much like what he felt.<p>

"I've known about them. Malik told me how close they are. I even asked her to bring little Bakura over for some fun but-"

"Marik if you try anything I'll personally-"

"Relax."  
>Marik eyed him suspiciously.<br>"Malik got pissed at me for even suggesting. It was worth a shot. Malik is so dominant, she's got spunk. I love that about her. She sure beats all the useless hosts I've had in the past." Marik smirked as he thought about the interesting adventures that occur in Malik's bedroom.

"Waste no time Marik, you already fucked the poor girl?" Bakura laughed. He found his friend's desperation rather amusing.

Marik raised his hands defensively.  
>"Of course not." He lied and he sounded very convincing.<br>I'm surprised you haven't fucked yours to be honest. If she were my light I-"

"But she's not, so get those ideas out of your head." Bakura spat but quickly felt the need to mention his other women, so that Marik wouldn't notice his obvious annoyance with his comments about Ryou.  
>"I've got other women anyhow."<p>

Marik shrugged his shoulders and lit another cigarette. The house was dark. With no running water or light, the house only provided shelter and not much more.

"Alright Marik, I know you're not here just to catch up. Why are you really here?"

"I thought you'd never ask."  
>Marik repositioned himself on his chair and leaned in closer.<p>

"I've finally found a way."

Bakura furrowed his brows at the vague statement.  
>"What are you on about, Marik? Speak."<p>

"I know how to finally take us back. Bakura, we can finally stop wandering through time and countless centuries and return to our own lives back in ancient Egypt where we can finally put these souls to rest!"

Bakura's eyes widened. He had longed to return to his own time period. To live among his gang of thieves and plan out their revenge on the pharaoh. He wanted to be able to have a place he called his own. After his failed attempt at assassinating the pharaoh, his soul was locked away in the millennium ring. The punishment was not death, but eternal life which was worse. Never being able to finally close your eyes for good and leave this wretched earth pained him more than anything. His torment was ongoing and it was a very sad life to wander for years on your own. He had nothing, no one but himself to depend on. He learned to never get close to his lights. He lived the inevitable cycle year after year and it had yet to stop, but he knew it never would. Marik had also suffered the same fate. His soul was locked away in a millennium item known as the millennium rod. Which he assumed was passed down to his light, Malik.

"Bakura did you hear what I just said?" Marik stared at the speechless White haired man. He hadn't said a word for a few minutes. He was processing it all.

"Yes. Yes I heard you Marik. It just... It can't be."

Marik had the same reaction when he learned this information and found his friend's bewilderment quite amusing.

"Oh, but it can. While Malik was still in school, she had a class over the history of Egypt. The teacher himself stated that they had valuables down at the museum. I took the opportunity to get my hands on something that caught my eye. An ancient book. It had the ancient scriptures on it's old, ragged cover. Nobody can read such text fluently but you and I. It called out to me... I felt it's dark energy. The answer lies within it."  
>Bakura still didn't know whether he believed Marik or not. However Marik was never one to play jokes when discussing serious matters..<p>

"Tell me more, Marik. What exactly is this book filled with dark energy?" It was the first time Bakura was genuinely interested in anything Marik had to say. He never asked as any questions either. It only showed how desperate he was to finally end his eternal life.

"It's a spell book. Filled with all kinds of dark magick. I haven't gone over the entire book of course, but did read the only thing that was of importance to me. The ritual to break our curse. If the spell to give us this punishment was written in the book, there had to be a spell to undo it. It came to me at the right time. We never had female counterparts until now. Women have the gift of giving life, Bakura-"

"and they should be the ones to take it from us." Bakura cut in. It's as if he had an epiphany of some sorts.

"Precisely. Now we're not going to die. No, we're simply going to be taken back to where we belong. like the sands of time have been turned. Then, we can live a normal life and die however we chose to."

"and what role will the girls play?" Bakura narrowed his eyes he was thinking about this new information heavily.

"Keep the girl pure. She must be innocent before you take her-"

"You mean I have to bed my light?" Bakura asked almost bewildered.

"Now you're catching on." Marik snapped his finger and pointed it directly at the thief.  
>"But there's a catch. Don't even try forcing yourself onto her. She must willingly give you her innocence. She must <em>love<em> you. If she doesn't, it simply won't work."

"No. There has to be another way, Marik."

"Look, I didn't say you had to love her. That only has to be one sided. Don't think you're not capable of being loved. The girl already has some feelings for you-"

"Like hatred and fear." Bakura cut him off. He won't accept it.

"No. I saw it in her eyes this morning. She won't speak ill of you even if you genuinely pissed her off. She's much too kind and with a gentle heart like that, all you have to do is be nice to her and the rest will be given to you." Bakura thought for a moment. Being nice wasn't in his nature. It was something he had to genuinely try hard at doing. But it wasn't impossible. He always used people for his own personal gain. He stopped at nothing.  
>'This. This won't be any different." He smirked darkly and Marik caught the determination in Bakura's eyes.<p>

"These girls, are our golden ticket out of this shit." Marik grinned and slammed his cards on the table.

"Bring this book to me. I must see this for myself. Where is this book of which you speak?"

"I hid it in Malik's room. I can't afford to saunter around the streets with it in my hand."  
>Bakura rolled his eyes in annoyance.<p>

"This is not a joke."

"It isn't. It's a spell book, Bakura. It must be conserved. Have little Bakura visit Malik when you're ready. I have to go now. I sense my light is walking home alone and I can't have that. I suggest you do the same. She along with little Bakura are key elements in this." Marik put out his cigarette, stood up and disappeared into the darkness leaving Bakura alone to his own thoughts.

_'Could it be that I'll finally live a normal life back in ancient Egypt? I'll no longer be a prisoner of this damned eternal life that brings me nothing but sadness and misery...'_

He pushed the thoughts momentarily out of his mind and remembered where he was. Marik left just to protect his light, while he stood in this vacant place thinking about himself.

_'But Marik wasn't so innocent. He only did it out of selfish needs.'_ There were so many things he had yet to settle with her. Yet, he didn't want to see her. His thoughts were getting clouded again. He absolutely hated how confused thinking about Ryou made him. He cursed himself under his breath and disappeared into his darkness.

_'It's time to have a talk with my little girl.'_ He smirked darkly.

* * *

><p>AN: Title of the chapter comes from the song "Sign of the Southern Cross"


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9- _'Misery Likes Company'_

Ryou's eyes shot open. She was in a deep sleep but somehow she awoke suddenly when she felt her millennium ring heat up. The warmth was now so familiar to her.  
>She looked around the room hoping to see him but saw nothing. She frowned slightly but she knew better than to believe he wasn't there. If she learned anything from him it's that things aren't always what they seem. Deep in her heart she felt his presence, his dark energy that somehow seemed to spark her interest.<p>

"Akefia..?" She dared to whisper out loud.

"It's Bakura." His voice was cold and sent shivers down her spine. He appeared out of the corner shadows of her room. His eyes fixed on hers as he slowly walked toward her and sat on the edge of her bed.  
>Ryou was surprised to see how calm he was. For the first time he looked like he wasn't going to threaten or hurt her, but she knew it was too good to be true and thus held her guard up.<p>

"Don't call me that." He hated how he enjoyed the sound of his ancient name coming from her mouth. It was like a caress and he flinched at the touch every time.  
>"He doesn't exist anymore. He died many years ago along with his village." His eyes looked straight ahead just staring at the blackness of the room.<p>

Ryou didn't know what to say. It's the first time that he ever mentioned anything related to this topic. The one that seemed to haunt him endlessly. She looked at his profile intently, studying every detail from his hair to the corner of his lips. She always saw Bakura as a guy who has been hurt many times and because of that he never let anyone inside. He locks everyone that tries to get near him away. She observed him a while longer while she took in his dull eyes and expressionless face. _'He almost looks so miserable.'_ She sighed, feeling slightly upset that he wasn't happy.  
><em>'but misery likes company...'<em>  
>Without a second thought she got off her back and stood on her knees behind him. She wrapped her arms around him as if to try to heal him from his tormenting past.<p>

Bakura jumped when he felt her arms wrap around him in a tight, consoling embrace.  
>"What is the meaning of this?" He quickly stammered, looking back at her. However, Ryou hushed him with a finger to his lips.<p>

"Shhh... Just let me hug you, Baku." She looked at him with innocent, piercing eyes. She Took a gamble by daring to come in contact with him. He could smack her away if he wanted to, but she genuinely wanted to cheer him up and stop his from saying such foul things.

Bakura felt a lump in his throat. He was unable to say a word and he wondered why he hadn't pushed her away. He wanted to push her away but for some reason he couldn't bring himself to do so.

"I don't need your pity, foolish girl." He said dryly narrowed his slanted eyes at her. Emphasizing that he wanted her to get away.

Ryou dared not to look him in the eye and instead rested her chin on his shoulder. She knew she was pushing buttons but for the first time she was actually able to come in contact with her yami and she wanted to take full advantage of it. She sighed and exhaled loudly, but didn't say a word.  
>Bakura grew impatient and annoyed. He wanted her to let him go as soon as possible. However if his need to rid of her was so bad, why couldn't he shake her off himself? His mind began to cloud as it always did when he was with Ryou and he failed to utter a single word to her.<p>

_'Who does this girl think she is? Stupid, stupid girl...'_  
>But the thoughts weren't voiced out loud. He contained his anger and annoyance by grinding his teeth together and balling his hands into tightly clenched fists. Conflicting emotions took over his being as his mind raced with different thoughts. He didn't need anyone to be there for him. He only needed himself. That's how it's always been for many years and that's how it was intended to stay. Yet, here he sat with his pure counterpart hugging him tightly in an almost <em>loving<em> embrace. Why?

_'But this could actually work to my advantage...'_  
>The sudden realization struck him. If he was going to follow through with Marik's plans, he needed the girl to fall hard for him, and to do that, he must act like he wants her comfort. He must also be <em>nice<em> to her. She was already taking the first step by being brave enough to actually hug him on her own account. He relaxed at the idea of taking this opportunity and making it work for him instead of making him feel highly uncomfortable. The smell of her soft perfume crept up his nose. It was sweet, gentle, and intoxicating. He became aware of her breasts pressed on his back as she tightly hugged him.

"He's not dead... I still believe he's in here, somewhere." She whispered in his ear innocently and absentmindedly played with his long white hair.  
>The feel of her breath on his ear sent shivers down his spine. He lolled his head back on her shoulder as she caressed his hair. Ryou was taken aback, but said nothing. Instead she just lightly played with his hair. His eyes were closed and his mouth was slightly opened. She was starting to believe that he was letting his guard down and actually enjoying the moment. Her heart kept thumping through her chest, harder by the second.<p>

A funny sensation formed in her stomach and she blushed lightly.  
><em>'Why am I getting so many butterflies in my stomach... He makes me feel some type of way.. Oh Bakura..'<em> She looked down at him lovingly and admired how peaceful he looked for once. Something in her mind kept telling her that this was too good to be true, but she pushed those thoughts away and lifted her hand to caress his cheek. His eyes shot open at the feel on her fingertips on his cheek and instinctively gripped her injured wrist tightly. He gripped it so tightly that it shot pain through her entire body and she felt her nerves knotting up. Ryou jolted and yelped in pain instantly letting go of his hair. His dark eyes looked directly at her glassy ones. The pain she felt made her eyes watery as tears threatened to flow down her pale cheeks. She trembled as she let out soft moans of pain even though she tried her best to contain them.

"Y-You're hurting me, please s-stop." Her voice was but a mere weary and scared of what he might do to worsen her pain, she shivered and closed her eyes shut.

_'I knew it was too good to be true..'_ She cursed herself internally.

Bakura smirk to himself. To be completely honest, he loved seeing her shiver in fear and pain. Even though he had acted very out of his own character, he still wanted to have the upper hand. However, he knew he couldn't keep it up. The girl would just be afraid to even be near him and he couldn't allow that. He looked up at the fragile wrist he had within his grasp and remembered that it was the same wrist he dug his nails into. He realized why she was hurting so much but didn't feel sorry for her.  
><em>'Follow through...'<em> he told himself. In an attempt to calm her, he slowly brought her wrist to his lips and soothed her pain by showering kisses all over her injuries.  
>Ryou quickly shot her eyes open. This caught her completely by surprise. The feel of his soft lips on her aching skin somehow magically washed her pain away. Her cheecks reddened as she look down at him gently kissing on her wrist. The swarm of butterflies in her stomach returned and she could feel her knees weaken. Ryou convinced herself that maybe Bakura wasn't aware of which wrist he had injured and thus, he gripped her wrist a little too tight. She didn't believe he would intentionally hurt her. But looking down at him and seeing what he was doing to her left her mute. In all her time of knowing Bakura, he had never been so nice and gentle with her. Her heart fluttered and threatened to spring out of her chest. A smile crept on her face as she watched the thief gently kiss her wrist. She wanted to say something but refrained from speaking for fear that she might ruin the moment.<p>

He stopped after a few moments and turned to look at her. He laughed inwardly at the sight of her. Poor girl was so inexperienced, that a few simple pecks on her skin made her cheeks redden.  
>"Does it feel better?" He purred lowly close to her ear. Ryou closed her eyes tightly at the electrifying sensation creeping up her entire body. It was a foreign feeling, yet it excited her.<p>

"Yes." She breathed.

"Let's try this again, shall we?" His mouth was dangerously close to her ear and without much warning he began to nibble on it, causing Ryou to gasp lightly. Bakura snaked an arm around her waist and pulled her closer to him. Ryou made no attempt to break free from his grasp and instinctively wrapped her arms around his neck. His lips then found her neck and found the sensitive area that man her moan out loud.

"You like it there... don't you?" He smirked and bit down on the sensitive spot on her neck.

Unable to say a word, she just nodded and pressed her lips closely together. She couldn't control her emotions or her reactions. He just knew what spots to touch and kiss and it drove her insane. He was making her feel like she'd never felt before and unlike last time, he was aware of his actions.

Bakura's hand felt down to her thigh and rubbed on the exposed skin. His warmth felt so good against her cold body.

He couldn't deny that he was enjoying this. Seeing how she reacted to his touches made him proud as if he were the only one who should please her. A sense of possessiveness overtook him and he grabbed her waist and pulled her in even tighter as he made sure to leave his mark on her skin. However Bakura knew he had to stop himself. If he were to go any further with her, he would be unable to control himself and have his way with her. The girl must remain pure at all cost. At least for now. He reluctantly pulled his lips away from her neck and shook her slightly to get her out of her blissful daze.

"Eh?" The blush on her cheeks and half opened eyes was a clear give away of how much she enjoyed the moment. In truth, even Bakura was surprised at her willingness. She didn't fight him or shy away.  
><em>'Maybe what Marik said was true... she really is starting to like me.'<em>

He got on his feet and didn't give her a second glance as he walked toward the door.  
>This snapped Ryou complete back into reality and she shook her head violently in realization. Here she sat on her bed all hot and bothered because of him, and he has the audacity to just leave her without saying a word? She legitimately felt used and upset.<p>

"So you're just going to leave?" Ryou didn't know where she got the courage to speak her mind. She felt a strange ache in her heart and something in her mind just snapped. Bakura was reaching for the doorknob when she spoke up. He was surprised once more at her behavior and he looked at her through the corners of his eyes.

"No, its alright I suppose. You do it all the time anyway." Her sarcastic voice echoed in his head. She almost sounded annoyed. The girl who was so weak and fragile dared to say something smart to him? This however, did not sit well with Bakura. In fact he didn't like it at all. He was always one to have control over anyone. He turned violently to stare at her in the eyes. His eyes were a fiery crimson and Ryou knew then that she overstepped her bounds. It was unlike her to make such remarks especially to him.

"Don't challenge me little girl. Have you forgotten who I am?"

"You're Akefia. My Yami... my other half..." Ryou said softly in a mere voice trailed off. Those soft pink lips quivered and her eyes were soft under his dark gaze. He always froze whenever she called him by his ancient name. It calmed him. It diminished the anger that had steadily built up. With one simple word, Ryou could control him.

He sighed and lowered himself onto his knees in front of Ryou where she sat straight up on her bed.

"I'm all alone here, too.. Once you came into my life, I didn't really complain. However you may be, You are still the only one I have. I hardly see my father and I'll never be see my mother and sister ever again.." She reached down to him and managed to make him set rest his head on her lap.  
>"I know that you feel all alone too.. but I'm here. I'll always be here for you." She caressed his hair with feather-like strokes.<p>

Bakura was no idiot, he had long ago regained his consciousness and took this opportunity to act on his plan.

"Ryou?" Ryou was silent for a moment trying to process whether Bakura actually called her by her name.  
>"If there was a way to help me be happy, would you help me?" His voice was suspiciously innocent but because of the moment they were having, Ryou saw nothing wrong with it. A little out of his character, yes, but she was convinced that her words penetrated his head enough to make him realize that she cared.<p>

"Yes of course I would." Ryou smiled down at him.

"I'll hold you to that, my girl." He grabbed her palm and kissed it. Ryou blushed lightly and commended herself for having him stay a while longer. She wanted to feel him warmth again and cuddle for the night. She felt protected around him.

"Come on Baku, let's go to sleep.." She yawned and grabbed his hands and pulled him up towards her. He surprisingly complied and took the spot beside her on the bed .

Almost immediately, Ryou fell into a deep sleep, while Bakura grinned darkly as he stared at his golden ticket lie innocently beside him.

_"Oh, little Ryou. Your tragic flaw is that you're too trusting."_


End file.
